It's always hard to say goodbye. We've been in the US for almost 5 weeks and we got so used to seeing our family and friends and now it's time for us to leave again. We have been asked many times how we like living in Italy and what it's like. But, after being in the US for so long, we almost forgot ourselves. It just seems so far away to us now.
My niece asked me if I was going to visit my mother in the cemetery (which is in the same town that my sister lives), but I told her that I wasn't going to go. She seemed a bit surprised, but I can't expect even a very mature 6 and a half year old to fully understand. I assume that my sister goes much more often, but I just can't bring myself to go. I've been there only two times: once when she was buried and one other time a few months after that on her birthday.
It's very difficult for me to go, to remind myself of what I have truly lost. I have not only lost my mother, but also a very special relationship that can never be replaced or recreated.
And so, Dave and I pack up our suitcases, load up the car, and drive to the airport. The view on the 280 freeway is spectacular. I love the green rolling hills, the view above the airport and the bay. It's a nice mental postcard I get to keep with me.
Maybe next year I will be in a better place and will be able to visit my mother. Just not this year.
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