My Mother
By Silvia Natale
This is the simple, story of my amazing mother, Christine Serini, who was born in Germany. When she was 30 she traveled to Italy, and there she met her husband. She has lived in Italy for almost 40 years; she’s now 69 years old.
Christine remembers the most challenging situation on her life. When she was living in Germany, after the war, it was a very, very difficult time for the country and for her family. Her father – who was an engineer – lost his job and he couldn’t find another one for 10 years; he was often very sad.
This is the simple, story of my amazing mother, Christine Serini, who was born in Germany. When she was 30 she traveled to Italy, and there she met her husband. She has lived in Italy for almost 40 years; she’s now 69 years old.
Christine remembers the most challenging situation on her life. When she was living in Germany, after the war, it was a very, very difficult time for the country and for her family. Her father – who was an engineer – lost his job and he couldn’t find another one for 10 years; he was often very sad.
But her mother kept on saying ‘tomorrow it will be better.” And he finally found a job. Christine learned this optimism from her mother and kept it when she went to Italy.
Whenever she felt lonely or sad, she said to herself: ‘tomorrow it will be better.’ And sure enough, it happened – things always changed for the better! Her work changed for the better because she believed in it, because she believed in a better future.
Christine is a normal woman, like you and I. When I asked her about herself and her life, she told me she feels that she has three main faults and three main qualities.
A Few Flaws & Some Great Qualities
One fault is that she always wants to make all things perfectly. The second one is that – maybe because she lived the World War II – she can never let go of her money, she never wants to spend it. She wants to save it because she is a little afraid that another war will happen. The third fault is that she says she is sometimes not very tolerant with other people she doesn’t like.She recognizes her qualities as well as her flaws. One quality is that throughout all her marriage she has thought of her family, she’s been working because she thought it would be the best for her family.
Another quality is that she is never down with her spirit. If some days she feels sad – because maybe there is a difficult situation - she always thinks: Ok today it is not so great, but tomorrow it will be better. She is an optimist.
The third quality is that, whatever nice things she sees around, she never wants it for herself, she always wishes it for her children or for her little nephew. She just would like to give everything to her family and not keep it for herself.
Life is Like the Ocean Waves
Christine thinks there is a simple thing to keep in
mind when things get tough. Also in a very difficult situation never,
never lose the hope in the future. Never think it’s over, I want to
stop, it’s finished.Always in life, it’s like a wave, sometimes we go down, but then we always go up. You never stay always down. In her life she had several moments in which she was down, but then she always went up. To do so you have to think ‘my future will be better’, you have to believe in it.
But not only that, you also have to do something to make it happen the way you want – to stay with other people, to keep relationships, to do some things that satisfy you and never, never think there won’t be another beautiful day. She has seen in her life, things always change for the better. You have to think positive.
My mother Christine learned optimism and faith that future will be better from her mother. And now I have learned it, in my turn, from her. It’s a wonderful gift from an amazing mother to her daughter, and I am happy to share it with you.