Letters from a 300-year-old Italian farmhouse. April 13

Searching for hope.

Surprise blessings.

Lately I feel like I am living in a snow globe being shaken by an excited toddler, bouncing around, never quite sure which way is up. Or down. I think it is time to take a deep breath, to stop and look around and see what is good, and even great in this world.

Spring, for example, the inspiration for odes, young love and vacations on faraway beaches. This is the time of year I am awakened at the first light by noisy and optimistic birds outside my window, discussing where they will build their nests. It is the season for startling blood oranges from Sicily, just dripping with red juice

and purply artichokes with spiky claws, tightly packed and tender, that yield a deep, earthy flavor. For fields of sunny dandelions and blossoms that stretch to the snowy Alps.

It is when the first sassy little bud of a Nebbiolo vine pops open into the sunshine to remind us of what is to come in October.

It is also when the pastor from Roddino and Monforte pops into our home, out of the blue. His visits always startle me, as Kim opens the kitchen door for him and he breezes in, speaking quickly and comfortably. “The Padre is here,” Kim calls out to me and I run down the stairs to meet them in the living room, my hair still damp from the shower.

He welcomes us back from our winter away, asking after each of us, and chatting about the weather, at least I think that is what he was talking about. Then he moves to the topic of La Settimana Santa, Holy Week, which begins this weekend. For the Church, this is the highlight of the year, their Super Bowl, with events all week leading up to the big day on Easter Sunday, and he wanted to remind us of Palm Sunday kicking off the week, followed by all the rosaries and prayer services, especially on Good Friday.

But what he really came for, he explains, was to bless our home. He has done it for us nearly every year, and now if we have a few minutes, he would be pleased to do it again. We fully agree.

He says the sign on the cross, and begins reading La Benedizione della Famiglia in which I recognize enough words to know that he is asking God to renew our faith, bring us love, and open our hearts to welcome all of our brothers and sisters, to bring goodness, to keep dangers and difficulties far away, and bring peace to all people. Then he asks for God’s blessing to remain in our house, always, and for us to feel hope.

I looked at Kim, and he was as moved as I was.

Wayward Catholic that I am, I never feel quite worthy of the Padre’s visits, but it is hard not to be honored by them.

As we bid farewell to the good father, I felt a bit sheepish. What do I have to fret about, really? We are in Italy, living out our dream. We belong to a community where, deserving or not, we are welcomed and loved. We are safe and we are healthy.

It sounds corny, trite even, to say that we should count our blessings. Maybe instead it is enough just to recognize the goodness that is in our lives, and all around us, especially during times of confusion and stress.

Yes, being back here again in our warm, cozy home in Italy, life is indeed good.

What about you? How are you feeling these days? Weary? Discouraged? Or are you finding hope in every day? In family? Friends? Your community?

Tell me what you are doing, and how you are feeling. Are you eating well, and enjoying what good things there around you? It is so important to find the time to bring joy into our lives. I want to see how we are all making these times, be the best of times.

And keep looking for my posts. I’ll be right here looking for you. It is so nice to be back.

Thank you for spending time with my letters. And if you enjoy them, I would love for you to click the little heart at the top of this letter, and comment or share it with others. It means more to me than you know. These letters are how I stay close to everyone, near and far. I will be writing every week or two, with stories of Piemonte, recipes that I have fallen in love with, tales of people I meet, places I discover and anything else that I think you might find amusing, curious or worthwhile. It’s a way to connect with you, look at the world from a different window, and hopefully let a little Italian sunshine into your day.

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