Nonna...

 

She's been on my mind a lot this month.

I wore her dress to the Utah Arts Festival annual Masquerade Party. It's an "Original Peggy Hunt" design. One of my favorite parts of the evening (besides everyone asking me where I got my dress) was twirling in circles to the last song played of the evening, watching the chiffon spin delicately in soft circles around my feet and smiling at the thought she would be happy the dress had another night out on the town.

I used her purse as well. And as I arrived home and pulled everything from its pockets, I came across her name. Her personalized mirror rested in my hand, and I wondered what woman she saw when she looked at her reflection.

As much as I am happy to have learned from my Nonna how to make cuppolettie, the proper way to make and measure pasta, the essentials of family cuisine, why butter is good for you (it has vitamin A people), and the mean skills of playing solitaire; there is so much I wish I would have asked her.

I wish I would have asked how she felt spinning in that dress? Did she spin in that dress? As I know she went to many dances but rarely danced due to her early battle with polio. How did she feel being a woman of her time? Did she ever feel lonely? What brought the sparkling smile to her face? What would always make her laugh? And did she have a treat that was her guilty pleasure? What were her thoughts as she drifted off to sleep? What did she dream about and why?

What were her dreams?

I feel as though the young woman in these photos could answer many of the questions I have today about her life. And maybe the answers would help guide me on my own path of discovery. Why it never occurred to me in my youth to ask as this woman was pinching my chubby cheeks in welcome makes me wish I had a time machine.

A time machine that would spin me to a destination where I could watch my Nonna smile in her dress. A time machine that would let me hear her laughter and witness the people stare as she twirled on the dance floor (because polio or not, that dress demanded a bit of fun twirling).

Oh how I wish...

Instead I stare and reflect in her mirror for a bit and cherish all the memories with her.

A big huge thank you to my Mom for taking the time to scan all our families old photos so that we can view them whenever we like.