Memories. Our Italian Christmas Memories, is about just that. Making memories, having memories, loosing memories. The thing about memories is that sometimes they are all that we have to hold onto. They stay a part of our lives. They stick with us. They live somewhere inside of us, even when we forget them. We just can’t reach them anymore.
At least that’s the way I have always thought about them. Sometimes it’s the memories that you forget, the memories that get buried, that are the ones that guide you the strongest.
But the thing about memories is that your memories just don’t affect you. A lot of the time they are part of the fabric of someone else’s life also. They are part of what makes everyone else too. The Colucci siblings — Anna (Sarah Power), RJ (Jesse Irving) and Ella (Morgana Wyllie) — have the best memories of Christmas in part because of their grandparents. Their Grandfather is still alive, but their Grandma passed away a few years back.
The Colucci siblings have bought their Mom a vacation and so Anna, has returned home to watch over their Grandfather, who has dementia.
Anna’s an adjunct professor and has spent most of her time traveling, filling in where she’s needed. But she’s home for now and it’s her week to spend with her Grandfather. She’s spent so much time away and didn’t know how bad things had gotten.
But she quickly learns how bad things are when she takes her Grandfather to a doctors appointment, how things are. Enter the hottie doctor Greg, who is kind, patient, and has a smile that could melt ice. He’s just sweet and tells Anna that if anyone needs to talk, he’s there.
Dude – that’s an open invitation for a lot of phone calls. I would have a million questions to ask Doctor Hottie – I mean Greg.
Greg gives Anna the idea that she should always keep her Grandfathers mind engaged. She asks what this means and he suggests doing things like a cooking class. Keep his mind constantly thinking. For her, this means that the two of them can try to figure out her Grandmothers recipe for the sauce that she made every Christmas.
Anna would do anything for her family, but she’s always thought that she’s a person that could be on her own. She’s thought that she’s a person who doesn’t need anyone. But everyone needs someone and as things start to progress, she’s faced with the fact that she’s so disconnected and definitely needs more time with the people that she loves.
Her Grandfather has been the anchoring force that she needs. He’s been the man who has believed in her, no matter what. Her father left her and her brother and sister a long time ago. But her Grandfather and all of the traditions that he made sure that they all embraced will be the things that she hopes to pass on to her own kids one day.
And she’s going to give him the time that he needs – a connection to the past. So, as they go about his highly regulated schedule, they find themselves searching for all of the ingredients to a recipe that they can’t find. While they are doing that, they’re learning more about each other.
Anna’s learning more about herself.
She finds herself spending a lot of time with Greg also, which makes her able to let down her guard and really feel the things that she’s suppressed in her life and thought that she didn’t need. He’s there for her and an ear, when she feels like no one is listening.
Her sister and her are disagreeing over how to best be there for their Grandfather. Her sister thinks that they should be having him make decisions before he can’t make them anymore, where Anna thinks that their Mom should be there for that conversation. He doesn’t want them arguing and wants for them to just get along.
They may all see the world differently, but they need to take a moment to see it through the same eyes. What they need to do is compromise and start to see each other for who they are. What it takes for them to see that though is the worst of things to happen – their grandfather going out for a walk and not coming home.
He’s lost. No one can find him. The whole town is looking.
There is no one who isn’t terrified that something has happened to him.
When Anna thinks about where he could be she heads out with her sister to find him. When they find him, he’s scared and alone. He couldn’t remember how to get home. Seeing him there, I broke. There was no part of me that could hold it together.
The fear in his eyes, the way that they all were lost, it just felt heartbreaking. It made me want to jump into the screen and hug them all. Getting him home, holding him a little close – it made me feel a little like I wanted to hold those that matter close.
The family is able to figure out the recipe, because Anna finds it, in her Grandmother’s sweater pocket.
It’s funny how time goes on and what we’re left with are the memories that we have but the ones that other people leave us with too. Their Grandma knew that they would need it. She wasn’t sure when or where. She just knew.
Everyone needs a reminder of home.
Everyone needs to feel home.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- RJ finding his passion was everything wonderful
- I really, really want pasta now
- Anna deciding to stay home was everything that we needed
- Treasure moments… they mean everything. And make sure to write everything down.
