Tribute to my beautiful Grandmother.

Nonna, your favorite color is green, your favorite season is spring. You love the sun and its light, the flowers; hydrangeas, orchids, daisies. You love those butterflies accompanying you and landing on the flowers touched by your sun, they remind you of your loved ones. As a child you wanted to be a bird. You found eternal rest at the first light of dawn, that light that always accompanies you, when the spring birds begin to sing. You entered into that great heavenly love and warmth with all your loved ones; grandparents, uncles, nephews, parents, children... your radiance has been tested so much at difficult and dark moments; a great and excruciating pain has taken you away slowly, slowly. You raised me, you mothered me. As a child you used to take me for walks. Once, I asked you: grandma what is Easter? She said: "it's the Resurrection of Jesus", that Jesus you have now met, nonna. As a child, when I missed you at school you gave me candies to remind me of you. You love spending the summer in your favorite place, Praiano, with all our loved ones. You took me to the beach in the summer, to the zoo in the spring; we spent afternoons at the Villa Pamphilj, we had walks on the Corso. I remember then all the toys, those Roman Nativity Scenes we loved building... you took me to museums and churches and you made my love for history and art grow in me. Finally, you forged my strong faith that now sees you with your loves and affections. You have always loved all your affections madly, you cook wonderfully. Nonna, you are my mother; you taught me good manners, like that time you told me off outside kindergarten for not walking nicely. You made me finish school and start college. You have always been close to me and you were there to love me, you are my mother too and I thank you for everything. Francesca, Antonio, Egidio and Mafalda, Rolando and Angelo are now with you and you with them at last. The beginning of your journey of love began where you met Christ for the first time in baptism, communion and confirmation, and where your love was blessed in marriage in a basilica that was once the main monastic sanctuary of Rome, the city you love and that you made great yourself. You left at dawn with the birds, at dawn on a Saturday, like when Christ entered the Limbo. You left us, for the moment, during the liturgical season of Easter, the season of Resurrection, before Sunday, and in the week before the Ascension. Now, you are with those you love, in heaven but also with us here as you are embraced by that great cloud of God's love. Thank you for everything you have done for us. Know that my daughter will be called Eleonora. Like the ascended Christ you will always be with us, side by side until the beautiful moment we meet again. Your joyful character has accompanied us until your last days on this earth. Thank you for all the moments with you, even the last ones, having allowed us to greet you well. You will always be missed. You will always be with us. In heaven, in the big cloud of God's love and warmth, with the angels and saints, affections... there's no time there, so we'll see each other soon nonna. Pray for us here and we will pray for you. I love you forever.

Eleanora Cipriani

Roma 17-03-1940; Roma 13-05-2023

Rest eternal grant unto her O Lord and let light perpetual shine upon her. 

May she rest in peace and rise in glory. Amen.

Read at the Funeral Mass of Eleonora Cipriani in the Basilica of San Saba in Rome at 11:00 am on 15 May, 2023.