by Gwendolyn M Plano
I am on the left and my sister on the right, in Volterra, Tuscany. I’ve been in Italy this past week, with my husband, and my sister and her husband. It’s been a pilgrimage of sorts, one that has slowed our pace and opened our hearts. Through the vestiges of time, we’ve traveled – from Rome to Assisi to Tuscany, where we are staying.
Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, stone homes and cobbled streets, there has been plenty of time to wander and to dream.
A few days ago, we visited a local winemaker and not only experienced incredible wine, we were brought to the edge of tears by this man’s realized dream.
I had complimented the winemaker by acknowledging how proud he must be to have achieved what he had achieved. His response was this: “Proud?” “No, I don’t feel proud; I feel happy.”
I asked him to explain and he said, “I work sometimes 15 hours a day, but I am happy because I have created something that others enjoy.”
What an amazing statement! He had started with nothing but a dream, over time he bought a vineyard, and now produces some of the best wine in Tuscany. And his reward, that which makes him happy, is that others enjoy what he has created.
In a country where the architecture spans centuries; and where frescos, sculptures, and paintings leave us breathless; and where even the sun can have halos around it, it is the Italian people who have inspired me with their graciousness and selflessness. Mille Grazie...
Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, stone homes and cobbled streets, there has been plenty of time to wander and to dream.
A few days ago, we visited a local winemaker and not only experienced incredible wine, we were brought to the edge of tears by this man’s realized dream.
I had complimented the winemaker by acknowledging how proud he must be to have achieved what he had achieved. His response was this: “Proud?” “No, I don’t feel proud; I feel happy.”
I asked him to explain and he said, “I work sometimes 15 hours a day, but I am happy because I have created something that others enjoy.”
What an amazing statement! He had started with nothing but a dream, over time he bought a vineyard, and now produces some of the best wine in Tuscany. And his reward, that which makes him happy, is that others enjoy what he has created.
In a country where the architecture spans centuries; and where frescos, sculptures, and paintings leave us breathless; and where even the sun can have halos around it, it is the Italian people who have inspired me with their graciousness and selflessness. Mille Grazie...
RSS Feed