"Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end." ~Author Unknown
Today is Saturday March 13th 2010. It's a special day as my father Nick Richio (pictured above) turns 62 years of age. What better person to capture the memory of such a great person than my mother, Jo-Anne Richio. She sent me the words and I put them into a short story.
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The Encounter
I'll go back to the beginning to talk about the man I have been with, and in love with, for 47 years. By chance, I had a first glance of Nick when we were both 15 years of age. I was at the Civic Theater (movie) in Portland, Maine's lively downtown area with my cousin and another friend. Nick was with a bunch of friends who were talking loudly behind us! They were so loud that I turned around to see WHO was making all the noise. My heart dropped; it was love at first sight if ever there was one. Not too long after this encounter my cousin, who knew who he was, helped establish the first phone call between us. We had never spoken before, but still talked for hours. We found we had much in common.
There was definitely an attraction between Nick’s family, the Richio’s and my maiden family, the Nappi’s. Before we even knew each other, his aunt had married my uncle. In years to follow one of my cousins married one of his cousins. Both families were big, my father having 15 brothers and sisters and his father having 11. In Portland our Italian heritages had already brought our families close. Certainly as we grew closer, our families grew closer and we learned and shared many great traditions together. My parents, grandparents, 4 brothers and 3 sisters liked him a lot. So did I!
School Years
A common weekend activity during high school was Nick hitch hiking 5.5 miles and across two bridges to see me. He did it so often, he became of member of my family. Our high schools were big rivals. He went to Portland and I to South Portland. Though I was a cheerleader for South Portland, I always secretly cheered for Nick on the sidelines during his football, baseball and track seasons where he was a star athlete. Nick was a popular guy at Portland. He was Vice President of his Junior and Senior classes. He was voted Most Popular his Senior Year and took second for Best Looking and Best Athlete. I knew he was the best. He was a star in the class play and was in a frat club. True to his character he remained humble with all those accolades. Just as important to him he still found time to work on the weekends. At the end of the summer after our senior year I cried when he left to go to Western Kentucky University (WKU).
While he was at WKU, I attended a local Maine school. I counted the days between his visits home. It was about a 21 hour drive and he carpooled with people from Maine, New Jersey and New York. It was a trip that I would make with him many times in future years. Two years into college we decided to marry and start a new chapter of our lives together. I moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky to finish up his last two years of college with him. Nick worked more jobs at one time than anyone else I've ever known. He was managing our apartment complex, working in the school library, driving a bread truck on the weekends and selling encyclopedias. He also drove me to and from work at the Bowling Green Warren County Hospital. He did this every week day/night and on weekends. I was on call as an x-ray technician so that included many middle of the night trips which he never complained about.
Today
Nick had the same drive then that he continues to have today. His work ethic in high school and college also gives insight into the provider that he remains to me and our entire family. To his credit, Nick remains humble and down to earth. He has been well known around Portland throughout his entire life. Most every time we are out he runs into someone he knows. The conversation goes, " Hey, are you Mr. Richio who taught me phys. ed in high school (or coached me in school)?" Since our first encounter at the theater, our lives together have been an adventure. Being together is sometimes magical, sometimes exciting and sometimes challenging. No matter what the emotion, Nick has always been my rock as a husband, friend and father. He is father to Jenn, Matt and Nick and grandfather to Jenn’s children, Nicholas (6) and Rebecca (2). As my love and respect for him continues to grow, I see the same from his children and his grandchildren....they call him Papa.
Loyal, dependable, compassionate and forthright are words that family, friends and others who know him would describe him as. Loving, faithful, caring, thoughtful, humble and strong are how I describe him. Nick also shows a sensitive side when he does things like cleaning the entire house, doing all of the laundry and putting fresh flowers on the table when I return from trips that have been for long stretches of time.
For his birthday today, I read all the cards on the shelf before choosing the perfect one for him. These words are for a man who has my love and respect. He earns and deserves the best life offers. I hope these words find some meaning to you:
There aren't enough words
to tell you I love you,
Not enough ways
to show you I care,
Not enough laughter
and good times to wish you,
Not enough wonderful moments
to share...
A million bright mornings
would not be too many,
Warm evenings forever
would still be too few
I want and need you
so much that it seems
There aren't enough days
in a lifetime with you.
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Thanks Mom. You have written the words better than anyone else can. There is always something special about the "high school sweetheart" story. My quote of the day is for you guys.
Dad, I am not sure I will ever catch up to what you've accomplished. I've always respected you because of that. You've made me a proud and driven son. Happy Birthday and I hope you had a great day. Good night from Telluride.
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