At breakfast this morning, we say goodbye to our friends Angela and Carl from Germany. I ask her if she is the leader of her wonderful team at work that she told us about previously. Humbly, she says yes, but only of the local area, not of the larger company. I tell her that I can tell she is a blessing to all those young people with her positive energy and love of people. We exchange contact information and hug each other before going our separate ways.
A bit after breakfast, we’re at the poolside and I’m spreading my writing tools out on the table next to me with plans to update my notes about our trip so far. There are people in the lounge chairs to my left. Shawn is in the lounge chair to my right. Just as I’m getting started, a man comes over and plants himself on the wall just behind me, between me and the person in the lounge to my left. He is talking with her about what he’s been doing this morning and sharing that his wife is on a walk with another person in their group, but they’ve been gone for hours. I’m instantly aware of his close proximity and admittedly, I am a bit impatient in my head, waiting for him to leave.
He doesn’t leave. My impatience moves to a deeper level of irritation. I don’t feel free to write because for one thing, I can’t concentrate at all and for another, he’s two feet behind me and can easily see my computer screen. I feel my space and my privacy have been violated.
I have been working intently, and at times intermittently, on my personal and spiritual growth. I know. Don’t laugh. Often times, it doesn’t show. My husband, especially, can attest to this. My current focus has been to let go. I try to let people do what they are going to do without having input. This can be difficult for a firstborn child, which I am! When I notice myself judging someone, even internally, I put myself in check and ask myself where this comes from. My goal is also to move away from labeling things, even internally, as good or bad, right or wrong, something I like or something I don’t like. (One of my favorite recent reads is Michael Singer’s The Surrender Experiment.)
It is evident to me at this point that the gentleman sitting on the wall just two feet behind me is not leaving any time soon. I tell myself firmly that I will not say a word to him about his close proximity. I will not suggest to him that there are chairs nearby that he can be more comfortable in. I will sit quietly, put my writing away for now, and rest. I’m not so noble as to send him loving thoughts.
Finally, he leaves to go to his room and wait for his wife. I’m not-so-humbly proud of myself for keeping my mouth shut. I’m also relieved that he is gone. The friend who was sitting just to my left also gets up to leave. Another friend in their group arrives and takes her spot, just a short time later. She and I engage in conversation and we start to talk about our vacations. She is hilarious and has me rolling on several occasions. Her name is Megan.
I remember from talking to others in their group earlier this week that this is a group of five or six couples who have all been friends for many years. The men in the group were very athletic in their youth and all played baseball together. One of the couples has a son who played major league baseball. They live in Australia and as they’ve gotten older, have all moved to a golf resort where they can continue to be well connected.
Megan and her husband built a very successful company which they recently sold. They also sold their home and like Shawn and I, are recently retired. She loved running the business and says she really misses it. She loved the work as well as their customers.
Soon, Megan’s husband comes out and sits at a nearby table with their friends, just slightly out of earshot. She points him out to me and tells me his name is Brad. He’s the man from the wall. I take a deep breath and thank God for the restraint and conviction. We see them again later in the piazza and my gratitude for a moment of strength continues.
Our friends Heather and Sauro invite us to meet them for dinner at La Loggetta in the evening. It’s one of their favorite restaurants and they haven’t eaten there for a bit because the owners were on vacation. We meet them there at 8:00 p.m. and Sauro walks us through the menu which is in Italian. There is an English translation but the foods are unfamiliar to us. Heather asks the server to speak to us in Italian so we can all continue to learn. The food is wonderful. We have two different pasta dishes, a beautiful fresh salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a lovely plate of stuffed figs.
As people walk by that they know, Heather greets each of them with genuine enthusiasm and introduces them to us. One attractive couple is dressed fashionably, as so many people here are, and walk past us arm in arm after we are introduced. They have been traveling, Heather tells us, and the lady is 91 years old! Heather and I agree that we want to be like her when we grow up.
As our evening is wrapping up, and it’s getting close to midnight, another couple familiar to Heather and Sauro approaches us. Gene is an attorney and Cathy has been an executive for several large American companies. She currently runs a charity for women who have had treatment for stage III or IV breast cancer. Before Heather has completely introduced us, Cathy is vivaciously taking a seat next to me at the table and Gene, too finds a place to sit. We order more wine for all of us but there’s an ordinance in place, we are told, and the restaurant is not allowed to serve alcohol now that it’s midnight.
Gene and Cathy have an apartment just minutes away from where we are sitting, they tell us, and invite us all to come have wine at their place. The restaurant bills are paid and we head to their place. Cathy and I walk arm in arm, laughing and chit-chatting the whole way up. Once we are there, she takes us on tour of their apartment and Gene generously keeps the wine flowing. Two bottles of wine are shared along with loud and lively conversations about politics, family, work and world events.
At one point, in response to something Cathy says, I mention how strong each of us three women are, meaning Cathy, Heather and myself. Cathy laughs and says that when that strength pops up in their day to day lives, Gene lovingly tells her she has strong leadership skills! Heather and I join her in laughter in recognition of being a strong woman in a relationship.
When the evening comes to an end near 2 a.m., Heather and Sauro go downhill to their apartment and Shawn and I go uphill to our hotel. We walk arm in arm, just like the older couple had earlier in the evening, talking and laughing all the way back. My Tuscan dream is continuing beyond anything I had hoped for, my heart is full and I’m in love.