Hi family and friends, Well today is my 53rd birthday. I do not feel like what I thought a 53 year old would feel like. Sure, my knees creak, and my back aches occasionally, but my mind is still the same mind that I had at 18...just different thoughts and worries passing through.... I laid in bed this morning and thought about where life has taken me in the last 53 years, and how blessed I truly am...We are leaving in 2 hours to go to Tuscany for my birthday for 2 nights, Brian has set up a cooking class for me which he is taking with me and we are all set for 4-5 wine tastings...and I have heard that there are incredible leather shops in Montepulciano and Oveito which I must see for myself. I am sure I hear the whispering of a few items calling me from both Oveito and Montepulciano..... Anyway, as I lay in bed listening to this man run up and down the street in front of my villa with a horse and a racing cart, I thought to myself, I would never have guessed one year ago that I would be lying in bed in Naples listening to a race horse carty thing, racing up and down from the end of the street where the Roman Ruins from 3000 years ago are to my gate and back....It is actually surreal to me at times. In the last 53 years I have experienced: -Growing up the oldest child of 7 children in a house with one bathroom.... -Babysitting the other 6 children and going absolutely crazy trying to stop my 5 brothers from doing something insane before my parents got home... -Cleaning up the mess from my insane brothers before my parents got home... -Learning to cook and bake from my Mom who made a delicious homemade meal for 9 people every single day of our lives.....and always invited whomever was in the house to dinner as well even though we did not have a lot of money (which we, as kids, never realized because we had everything we needed and more in terms of love and family) Thanks Mom!.... -Learned how a man could show his love and provide for his family by working hard all day, coming home and building his family a home around the trailer we started in, with his bare hands and working on this home every day after work. Thanks Dad!..... -Realizing that though they drove me crazy, my 5 brothers T.J., Mark, David, Pat and Gary would all do anything for me to this day... -Realizing how lucky I was to have my sister Patty as one of my best friends as we grew older, she is a very special woman whom I am very lucky to also call my friend and my sister.... -Realizing how lucky we all were to grow up as free as we were, living on the water, digging our own clams, quahogs, fishing, running up and down the railroad tracks with no fear, just fun.... -Having Memere right next door to go see and learn more about the art of cooking and baking, also having Aunty Claire there to teach me how to cook -Meeting Brian at a young age and knowing in my heart that he was the one....(thank goodness he recognized that too!) -getting engaged in my Senior year of High School -getting married the following April to the incredible man I am still in love with 34 years later.... -gaining an in-law family that was, and still is, an incredible support to us and whom I love dearly.... -Jessica came along 1 1/2 years later, Jen followed 11 months after Jess.... -Went to Nursing School to become an RN..... -Keyvon adopted into our family at age 5, finally found my son..... -Owned a staffing and training Agency for paraprofessionals-my first business-learned a lot about becoming a business person and a CEO.... -Sold Staffing and Training Agency as it became too big for my business partner and I as we wanted a small Agency, not a huge one with 300+ employees.... -Bought a diner with my brother David and made it into a very successful business-cooked and baked everyday loving it..... 2nd business...... -Opened Are You Worthy with my godchild and good friend, cousin Kathy, my two daughters Jess and Jen. It is a patriotic clothing line which I have put on the back burner for a while, but will start marketing again very soon....3rd business.... -Sold my half of the restaurant back to David and opened a bakery with my sister Patty....Loved working with my sister, but a bakeries hours were killing us both....sold the business after a successful year....4th business.... -During all of owning and operating these businesses, I still worked as an RN getting my Bachelors degree first, then onto my Masters degree, and now I am in school with over 50% of my PhD finished... -Jess, Jen, Keyvon all married to incredible people whom I love like my own sons and daughter, Jen and Roy, Jess and Jacob, Keyvon and Heather..... -Five incredible beautiful, intelligent, grandchildren: Jen and Roy have given us Amber , Skyler , Aiden , and Peyton , Jess and Jacob have given us Emma, and Keyvon and Heather will give us our future grandchildren (no pressure!).... -Becoming the Dean of Nursing at a few schools and promoted to Regional Dean of Nursing to cover the state of Florida....awesome job, but moved back because Brians promotion to Florida did not come through due to Congress sequestering. Did not know or realize everything happens for a reason at that time..... -Chance to come to Italy for 90 days for Brian to cover a position. Had to leave my job, but took the chance anyway.... -During the 90 days, Brian gets offered the permanent position for 3 years in Italy-biggest decision of our lives, everything previous to this decision was easy because our family surrounded us....We take the position..... -Transferring our lives to Naples Italy for the next 3 years- a European education that is exciting, bittersweet, full of adventure, completely different from any other lifestyle I have ever known, and lots more to come.... -Having Brian by my side supporting me, loving me, encouraging me to do anything I wanted to do. He has always been the rock in our relationship even though it looks like he is the quiet one. He is my stability, which allowed me to buy and operate 4 different business without thought of failure....he is the one who says Go for it Sue when I doubt myself...he is the one who goes on every single crazy journey I think of with a smile and a little bit of fear (which he tries hard not to show)....He is my soulmate and will be forever. We are in this journey together and wherever life takes us, we will have all of the memories, love and support from our families that have been forged in love and tears.... I have compacted 53 years of an incredible life into one column, so the details are left out, but just add tons of family, fun, laughter, love, food, respect, and friends into the post and you have my 53 years of living..... I am one blessed daughter, sister, aunt, Mother, Grandmother, daughter in- law, sister in-law, and wife.... Today, I am signing off differently for the first time- My life education continues, for whatever time is remaining, I am already so blessed with my family and friends that all I can say is: I am ready for the next 53 years of adventure....with Brian and my family and friends by my side.... My life education continues.......
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 07:39:55 +0000
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