Orfinio Bellisario

I wanted to prepare a gift for my papa today and I prayed to Almighty God for the wisdom to decide on what it should be. Could it be a star in the sky...or the silvery moon...or what about all the planets in the universe? No - something more valuable, meaningful. Nothing seemed bigger than the love that I have in my heart for him and the ability to express it for you all here today.

Orfinio Bellisario was the biggest little man I have ever known. Everything about him was a paradox. He was righteous and God-fearing, yet sinister and menacing. He was as strong as a bull, but weakened by the ravaging forces of disease. He was quick-witted and street smart, but sometimes rambled on and on about nothing. oh did he love to talk up a storm. He often seemed cold and aloof, yet cried helplessly at wedding and when calling Italy. So how do i talk to you about a man like Orfinio?

Bottom line? He was a metaphor for life - complete chaos and randomness. You could never predict what was going to happen to him; like a good movie with so many twists and turns, that he left you cheering for him in the good times and feeling sorry for him in the bad times knowing that things would get better for him just around the corner. How can you not love a man like that?

There was always drama in our household. He was the lead actor, and my mom and I were the supporting cast. E che attore! Quante volte che sembrava di doversi cadere....e invece si riprendeva. Quante gride che dava a noi e quelle machinarie che lo permettevano un giorno o due di solievo. Ha sacrificato tanto per ricevere poco, sia per il dialasi e sia anche per la vita. Lamentava " O Dio - perche mi hai abandonato?". Ma non si mai rasegnava. Cercava sempre rimedio. Ancora piu medici e medicinali. Ancora piu volte a confesarsi, non volendo mai bestemiare. Piu camini per la casa e per i corridoi dell'ospetale, stanza per stanza, cercando noi "Coule, Domeni, Lore?". In realta....cercava solamente un po di pace.

Io e mama lo stavamo vicino durante ogni scena del suo cinema, specialmente le ultime tre settimane. Ora lo spettacolo e finito. Il prossimo film sara diretta da mio fratello che lo aspeta con brace aperte e una nuova scenegiattura - questa volta pero...senza cascade. E la pace che lo ha illuso qui, sara finalmente sua li.

The peace that my dad strived for eluded him until the very end. No more screaming. No more drama. No more waiting for the climax. His movie had a happy ending after all, but it left us audience members scratching our heads and wondering what's next. Will there be a sequel? When will we see our tragic hero again?

Emily Dickinson wrote in one of her poems;

Life is but a stopping place. A pause in what is to be a resting place along the road to sweet eternity.

We all have different journeys, different paths along the way.

We all were meant to learn some things, but never meant to stay.

Our destination is a place far greater than we know.

For some the journey's quicker. For some the journey's slow.

And when the journey finally ends, we'll claim a great reward.

To find an everlasting peace. Together with the Lord.

Rest in peace now papa.

DOMENIC BELLISARIO