doin' the Luna

We went to Faccia Luna, a pizzeria in Old Town Alexandria, to help Dad celebrate what would have been his and Mom's 43rd anniversary. It ended up being more of a guy's night out than anything; my brother Sean couldn't make it to dinner because of a rehearsal he was unable to cancel.

Appetizers were a plate of piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese, and a plate of eggplant bruschetta with marinara. My brother David ordered a plate of chicken pasta with cream sauce; Dad had a barbecue chicken sandwich, and I ordered a large meatball pizza-- their largest size: I knew that neither Dad nor David would have enough food, so I anticipated sharing some slices.

Everything was great. Faccia Luna has been consistently good to us. Exactly one year before last night, on April 6, all five of us were at Faccia Luna-- we four guys and Mom, helping Mom and Dad celebrate their 42nd anniversary. Ten days later, Mom presented with cognitive symptoms, thus beginning our family's losing struggle with her brain cancer. Amazing how one's world can come crashing down in a single year. But despite the underlying sadness in the aftermath of Mom's death, we made it through yesterday evening with laughter, stories, and Food Network-style commentary. No self-pity, no tears.

Finding the balance between honoring someone's memory and looking forward to a happier future isn't easy. We're still working that out as a family. Step by step.


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