Jacqueline M. Ruffino-Platt
On my birthday, which I recently experienced with my family and very good friends, I was grateful for all the joy blessed to me. My husband John, I ask him every time, “How do you find such wonderful cards with such beautiful thoughts and words? You always take it upon yourself to make my birthdays so wonderful and lovely for me.”
From early in the morning until evening hours, my family and friends call me. My brother calls from Florida early in the morning. My older brother is home from Palermo, Sicily, and presently resides in Rhode Island and is now 93 years young. He was chosen and ordained a priest many years ago in the Vatican City, Italy, by the Holy Father, Pope Pius XII.
However, on my birthday, I received some cards from wonderful friends and families who were a joy blessed to me.
The following is a small story, which my brother wrote and mentioned these following words each and every year. These words were when my mother brought me home from the hospital where I was born.
He wrote the following beautiful story for my birthday this year, 2025. As we get older, there are so many events and things I can’t remember, yet somehow he remembers quite clearly the day our mom brought his newborn baby sister home from the hospital.
Mom laid me down on the couch in the living room. My brother Russell looked at me so cute and so pink. I remember touching your tiny hands and remember I was just so moved by the sight of you. I turned to mom, standing next to me, and I asked, “Can we keep her?” Or maybe I asked, “Are we going to keep her?” That was 85 years ago, and as I say, there are a lot of things I can’t remember anymore. And yet somehow that picture of you a couple of days old on the couch is still in my head. I have told you this little story again and again. I had to tell it one more time.
God bless you, sister of mine.
This story was written by my brother, 93 years of age, a priest, who resides in Rhode Island.