Terms of Endearment

Three important facts for this post:

1. Our computer isn't letting me add pictures. If I could add pictures, I would have used a picture of my mom and a picture of the sunrise.

2. My mom loves to use one great word repeatedly (which we laugh not at her, but with her about.) For example, for a few months she loved the word, genre and it was used as often as possible however malappropriately. There have been other words/phrases that have cycled through her vernacular as well (i.e. bringing sexy back, sketch).

3. My dad served his mission in Italy and dazzles us all by speaking Italian from time to time.

One morning, my mom heard him use the phrase, "Bella giornatta" which means "beautiful day". This was her first time hearing this phrase after almost 30 years of marriage and once she heard it, it seemingly spoke to her soul. Bella giornatta, she thought. Yes, that's it! This moment was an epiphany of sorts and she decided then and there that Bella giornatta would be her new idiom, and new nickname indeed for all those in her life whom she loved. To my mother, we were now all bella giornatta, even my dad and my brother (despite the obvious feminine adjective and noun). And of course, we can't resist calling her bella giornatta in return.

One may argue that this new term of endearment doesn't make a lot of sense. We don't usually greet family members with "Oh hello, Beautiful day, how are you?". Yet somehow, in regards to my mother, it fits.

Being with her is refreshing and renewing. And when I go visit home after a few weeks of being away, I can't help feeling, when she's giving me the first of many hugs, like the sun has just come out, like my mother is very much a sun, and that this moment is like a new, glorious day.

Her face radiates joy, light, warmth, and love. And unquestionably, any day spent with her, is a beautiful day.

So here's to my beautiful mother, mine and everyone's bella giornatta.

Happy Mother's Day!