ARRIVEDERCI NIPOTINA!

  THURSDAY, JUNE 13TH., 2019
      ARRIVEDERCI NIPOTINA!

   Whether you say this in Italian or
English the phrase is bittersweet. I've
long since forgotten most of what they
tried to teach me in my high school
Italian class but if I've this one right
it means "Goodbye Granddaughter."
    Roberta Papa came to us as an
exchange student living with my
daughter, son-in-law, and their two
kids last year.
     It took about an hour to accept
her as another grandchild!
     Her enthusiasm to get involved
with every phase of family, school,
and community life has been
overwhelming! Her appreciation
for anything done on her behalf
is as impressive as her ever present
smile.
      It has been both an honor and
true pleasure to be a small part of
her life. She quickly became a big
part of ours!
      The "'down side" for us is the
need to say farewell as she returns
to her family and home in Italy. She
graduated from Wyoming Area High
School last week and has one more
year of high school to complete in her
native Sicily next semester.
      I feel like Dorthey in the Wizard
of Oz when she said goodbye to the
Scarecrow as she left the Emerald
Palace to return to Kanas. "I think,
she said, I'll miss you most of all."
      How quickly the time seems to
have gone by! It brings to mind
the lyrics of a song by Roger
Whittaker  "The first time that we
said hello, began our last goodbye."
       "Grannie" and I are sincerely
hoping life will allow us more
"hellos" with this beautiful,
intelligent, and thoughtful young
lady somewhere in time.
        Meanwhile Roberta please
know our hearts and love go with
you where ever you may be!
        Congratulations on all your
successes here in the USA and on
being named the first Italian
member of the DeCosmo "Picnic
People."
         Buona Fortuna e tanto amore!
         Grandpa & Grannie DeCosmo