Dear Nonno,

Separated by 430 miles I looked forward to our visits

Our playdates at the park by my house when I was only a few years old

You promised to catch me as I went down the slide

As you grew older, you were no longer able to visit me

That was okay, I enjoyed visiting you in San Francisco

You would take me on adventures through the city

Riding down the cable cars and tasting our way through Ghirardelli square

Then you were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

I would still visit a few times every year

Becoming more difficult for you to get around, we stopped exploring the city

Our new leisurely adventures consisted of finding the treats to fill that classic pink bakery box

One Thanksgiving when I came to visit you forgot my name

Now with severe Alzheimer’s it was nearly impossible to communicate

I finally realized what it meant to grieve someone who was still alive

The Nonno I used to know is fading away