A Beautiful Life

By: Jenna Rizzo

https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/seniors-and-romance_b_14636240

I decided to interview my grandfather and gain further insights into his life experiences. He has always been someone who loves to talk about the past and reminisce about all he has accomplished over his life. Therefore, I thought I’d share some of his responses of how incredible my grandfather’s life journey has been thus far. When I speak to my grandfather, he speaks in a combination of English and Italian to me, so keep in mind when reading I tried my best to translate!

What are you most proud of?

“I am most proud of that I picked up my belongings and moved across the world. It was hard to leave all my family behind, but to find a better career and be able to settle down to have a family, I had to make a hard choice. By grabbing my things and leaving the farm in Italy, I was able to work hard on the job I had in order to provide and have the family I always wanted. It is crazy to think how different our lives would have been if I decided not to leave my small town. It makes me happy to look at how much my children and grandchildren have accomplished, and has reminded me that my hard choice to move was worth it. “

What is your earliest memory?

“I will always remember spending my days working on the farm with all my animals. I worked many hours a day in order to help out my family. I did not attend school. Instead, I worked with all my brothers and sisters, and we would sometimes run off to play games outside when our parents were not around. I loved all the time I spent with my siblings, and I miss them so much. Because I have 12 brothers and sisters, there was someone I could spend time with. I hope I can see some of them soon, but it is hard since they are spread across the world.”

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?

“Family is not just through blood. When I immigrated to Canada, my wife and I needed a sponsor. The only way we could go work in Canada was for our friend to sponsor us. Our friend helped us come to Canada and always treated us like we were family. Canada is very different, and she did so much for us. She also helped us meet so many Italians in the city that we see every week. Our friends feel like family because of how much they support and are with us. We could not have lived here if it were not for our beautiful friends who were our family before we even had children.”

Even though I have known my grandfather my whole life, it was eye-opening to hear things that he has never shared with me before. After over 20 years I thought I knew him well, yet there was so much he never thought to share with me. I feel as though many individuals never think to ask such deeply rooted questions. It is so heartwarming to hear about how different the world was through the lens of another individual. I thoroughly recommend everyone to ask a senior within their lives deeper questions to learn new things about them that you never knew.