"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been."
Madeleine L'Engle
How true that is!
I know the book cover for Miss Locatelli doesn't look at all relevant to Madeleine L'Engle's quote, but it is, because when the heroine, Arabella Locatelli, turns her life upside down to save the family jewellery business, she discovers all the things her grandfather has been hiding from her all her life. She learns that he was young once, and reckless, and so were others she didn't know existed. Of course there is a hero in there too, and a lot of other things including the beauty of Italy, but mainly it is about the importance of family, how we make decisions, and the acceptance of whatever life throws at us whatever age we are.
Why am I blogging this today? In my 90 year old sister-in-law's birthday card I wrote
You are 18 with 72 years of experience!
Those years have given her 4 children, 10 grandchildren, 2 step grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild and 2 step-great-grandchildren. She has had at least 6 homes across 3 countries, and many, many adventures. She is physically frail now but not so frail that she couldn't, with help from her family, organise a celebratory lunch party, and what a party it was! Everyone who could be there turned up.
Her whole family, her extended family and a few close friends spent a Saturday together. The weather was kind, the food was good, and it was such a joy to see everyone catching up after, in some cases, years of absence.
Of course there were speeches, a cake with candles, old memories invoked, and glasses raised. But best of all was later when, the celebrations over, just the family reconvened at the home of one of her daughters where us oldies watched and listened to our grandchildren and our great-nieces and great-nephews all sitting and chattering together. Aged between 19 and 29, some still studying, others well established in jobs, most with partners of a similar age, there were a lot of them. As they sat in a circle on the floor and talked about their adventures and their plans for the future it made us cross our fingers and hope they achieve everything they are aiming for, for it's a long road to 90 and much can happen along the way.
Remembering them as babes in arms, as toddlers, as carefree children who briefly turned into awkward teenagers, and see how they have all grown into kind, hard working and thoughtful adults was wonderful. It was lovely also to see how they took the time to talk and play with the tinies in the party, the great-great-nieces, who, almost asleep on their feet, were far too excited to go to bed, instead commanding the attendance of their many aunties and uncles at every possible moment.
And of course there were also the nieces and one nephew. Yes there were some grey hairs and wrinkles but to us they were still the children we had loved, cared for at times, holidayed with, and always enjoyed. Whether they can remember us when we were younger is a moot point but it doesn't matter because we can. At 18 we were immortal. Now we are just thankful for the many years of experience that followed. We remember what it was like to be young, to live, love, to make mistakes, to dig ourselves out of a jam, to have plans and adventures. We were there once even if to the younger generations such a thing is unimaginable!
As for our sister-in-law, she, like the little ones, fought sleep for as long as she could but eventually she gave in and opted for an early night. When I spoke to her the following day she said she'd had the time of her life. I think at 90, she deserved it! What a milestone.
Short extract from Miss Locatelli
"So what happened next?" Arabella could hardly bear to ask.
"Not at all what I expected and I still feel sick when I think about it now. In my innocence, because I was still very young, I just wanted to give them an hour together...something for Sophia to cherish once Paolo and Bernadetta returned to their life in Florence. I certainly didn't imagine for one minute that they'd elope."
Arabella shook her head in disbelief. "There must have been more to it than that because they only had such a short while together. Not enough time to make plans. Besides, whatever else he is, my grandfather is kind. He's never wittingly hurt anyone in his life."
"Not in your lifetime perhaps cara, but he lived for many years before you were born, and people sometimes do things without a thought for the future, or for anyone else's feelings, when they are young and in love."
