May the month of the Mother! Thank you mom! For your love and your sacrifice. I love you! Maggio il mese della mamma! Grazie mamma! Per il tuo amore e il tuo sacrificio. Ti voglio bene!

Moms are special people because they love all the time, even when we screw up. When we treat them badly, and/or disrespect them. Don't they? They are always ready to give/share anything they have. This is a tribute to all moms who love and make children and their family their first priority in life. I believe in this (that moms are unconditional lovers- no strings attached- they just love- it's in their nature), because my mom made it (loving me) a reality in my life. Although she was in my life only for 13 short years, she such a person, one who inspired me and taught me about compassion for others. In addition to the poem Mamma (Mom, Madre), I also want to share a story (at the bottom of this blog) - an event that took place in our life (mine and mother's) as a child, and is impressed forever in my memory and in my heart. 

A Poem for mom
(Italian)
Mamma
Nella vita c'è l'inverno e la primavera,
e tu mamma sei per me la primavera.
Dopo la tempesta il sole.
Dopo il vento la calma.
Dopo le lacrime il sorriso.
Dopo il dolore la gioia.
Nel timore tu sei il mio conforto.
Mamma dopo di te non c'è nessuno.
By Ottavio Lo Piccolo
 
Mom
In life there is winter and spring,
and you mother are my springtime.
After the storm the sun.
After the wind the calm.
After the tears the smiles.
After the pain the joy.
In fear you are my comfort.
Mother after you there is no one.

(Spanish)
 Madre
En la vida hay el invierno y la primavera,
y tú madre eres mi primavera.
Después de la tormenta tú eres el sol.
Después el viento tu eres la calma.
Después de las lágrimas tú eres las sonrisas.
Después de que el dolor tu eres la alegría.
En el miedo que eres mi consuelo.
Madre después de que no hay nadie.

 
Italian: Le mamme sono persone speciali. Ci vogliono bene anche quando sbagliamo o le trattiamo male e gli manchiamo di rispetto. Non e' cosi? Questo blog e' dedicato a tutte le mamme che hanno come priorita' i figli e la famiglia. Credo che le mamme amano senza condizioni, amano perche' e' nella loro natura. In fondo a questo blog condivido alcuni eventi che ho vissuto con mia madre da bambino, e alcune immagini delle mamme speciali nella mia vita. Sono ricordi, donne  che non posso dimenticare perche' impresse nella vita, nella mia memoria e nel mio cuore. Non li ho tradotti in Italiano, ma lo faro' presto, spero prima della prossima festa della mamma.

Dear mom, Cara mamma,
Thank you for teaching me to have compassion for the poor. I always remember that day, when I was 9 or 10 years old - you had just bought some fruit from the fruit vendor in our town, and a beggar asked you for money. And although you didn’t have any cash, you took a handful of nespole (Sicilian fruit, that looks like apricots), maybe they were cherries, and gave it to him. As we walked a way you said to me: “Whenever someone begs from you, you have to give them something, even if you have no money.”

My mom as a teen, at the age of  16-17 (circa 1950, Torretta, Palermo, Sicily.
Mia madre da ragazza, pi' o meno all'eta' di 16-17 anni.

And when you got mad, you’d try to beat me with a big wooden spoon. I ran under the table and tease (makes fun of, taunt, joke with) you: You can’t get me! And you’d start laughing. And that was the end of it. I also threw all your wooden spoons up on the roof next door. One day I saw about 20-30 on that roof! The only time you meant business  (were serious, mad) was when you got really fed up  (upset, mad) with me and you’d say: If you don’t listen/shape up I’ll tell your father - Then I really listened because dad’s hands were heavy! And he didn’t yell - He used his hands to slap (hit, smack)! But now I remember…you never did tell dad!
My parents on their wedding day. Circa 1955-56.
I miei genitori, il giorno del loro matrimonio.

I also remember that time you were proud of me that time that I made a small art work for you. I didn’t know how to paint, so I cut out a beautiful colorful image of a tropical island from my old geography book, and I pasted it on a piece of plywood. It looked like a painting. You took it outside that day and showed it to all your friends in the street where we lived. Mom, you were my first admirer! Thank you for giving me the confidence!

Me (next to the wall), my maternal grandmother  my brother and my sister. Circa 1972-3.
Io, (vicino al muro), mia nonna materna, mio fratello e mia sorella. 

In basso, la mia nonna paterna, Ignazia. Non ho avuto il piacre di conoscerla perche' e' morta quuando io avevo pochi anni, verso gli anni 60.

My paternal grandmother. I didn't get to know her well because she passed away when I was several years old, in the 60s.

Mia zia Sarina era una mamma unica; sempre affettuosa, sempre pronta  a dare se stessa, sempre pronta a difendere i figli.

My aunt Sarina, a unique mother, always ready to love, ready to give, and to protect her children.

 Mia suocera, una mamma che ha dato e ancora da' tutto ai figli e alla famiglia.

My mother-in-law, a mother who has given much, and still gives everything to her children and her family.

La mis seconda mamma, maria Pia, una lavoratrice instancabile, una donna coraggiosa e orgogliosa. Grazie a lei mio padre ha potuto noi 3 figli negli Stati Uniti e darci un futuro miglire.

My second mom, Maria Pia. Thanks to her my father could bring us to the USA, and hence give us 3 children, a better future.

 Mia sorella Ina, una donna che ammiro molto perche' dedicata al lavoro la famiglia e tramandare la sua fede cristiana.

My sister Ina, a woman I admire a lot for her dedication to work, family and her Christian faith. 

Io, mia madre, mia sorella Ina e mio fratello Franco. Circa 1970.

My wife, the mother of my two children.  A woman dedicated to her work, the home, good cousine and untiring attention to her children.

Mia moglie, la madre dei miei due figli. Una donna dedicata al lavoro, la casa, la buona cucina e attenzione instancabile dei figli.

Mom, I also remember the time when I was no more than 10 years old, and I stole a head of garlic from our neighbor across the street. I was happy to bring it to you at home. I thought you'd be happy, but instead you scolded me and made me return it. In Sicily, during the summer people at that time (in the late 1960s) dried foods, like tomatoes, garlic, oregano, etc, outside, right next to their doors.  
So when I brought my prize to you at home you said: Where did you get it from? I replied: I found it on the street! But you shocked me and said: Return it where you took it from! So, I went back and quickly, when no one was looking, threw it on the neighbor's sidewalk.
Mom, I couldn’t be what I am today, were it not for you. You were instrumental (important) to my life - you helped me grow into a better person. God Bless you! For your love, your protection, and for your inspiring/motivating lessons! I miss you and I love you. I hope to be reunited with you in heaven when God calls me.
Your son
Ottavio
 Le immaggini in basso sono dedicate alla Madre di Dio, e a tutte le mamme che come Lei, amano instancabilmente sempre!
The images below are dedicated to the Blessed Mother, the Mother of Jesus, and our mother. Catholics love her and pray with her- not to her- because she is the perfect example of mother. She teaches and shows us how to be good/loving children, the way she taught Jesus, her son, and our brother, our Savior and our God.  

How does she teach/guide us today? She has appeared to many people throughout history, she appeared at Fatima (Portugal) in 1917 to 3 little children. Today she is still appearing to those six people in the small village called Medjugorje, in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Europe, in the former Yugoslavia). These children, now adults, started seeing her and talking to her every month. 

What does she say/want? She said once to the visionaries: I have come to bring you closer to the Heart of my Son Jesus. 
Mary wants us to return to God, to be nice, to be respectful, to be honest/truthful, to be considerate of everyone, and of course to love, respect and pray to God (not to her). She tells us that God loves us- He can help us lead better and more fulfilling (meaningful) lives- God can show us the right way, the way get to heaven - or final destiny- because our life on earth is only a chapter, a brief time where we are supposed to love, and learn the good way, in order that we can live happily for an eternity with God.

 I have not seen this movie, but I plan to. Questo film non l'ho ancora visto, ma lo faro presto.

This essay © Copyrighted by Ottavio Lo Piccolo. May 3, 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this writing may be copied or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the authors’ written permission. Classroom teachers may copy individual articles with the images included in each piece, but only for instructional purposes and only for their classroom students. Images are from Google images, unless otherwise specified.
Italian: 
Diritti d'autore esclusi solo all'autore Ottavio Lo Piccolo, 25 aprile, 2015. Per publicazione intere e/o parziali richiedere il pemesso scritto dall'autore.