Chapter 1
“Growing Up”
1950–1976

Life is so amazing in that we always have a choice. Sometimes at the crossroads of life our choices are conscious and thought out. But for the most part, day in and day out, the thousands of choices we make without much thought are the ones that end up having the greatest impact on our lives; the ones that can determine our destiny. Sometimes, these choices can be as simple as crossing the street.
And this is how our story begins...

Chapter 12
“Italy”
2010

I stood in the doorway of the propped open front door contemplating my situation. The rain was now coming down harder. Gazing over a sea of black umbrellas outside in the piazza, I felt as though I were frozen in time. It all resembled a scene from an old Italian movie, and despite the fact that the scene was alive with energy, I felt alone and invisible, like an extra on the set without connections to anyone.

I stepped out into the rain and looked up. As the rain fell on my face I could only differentiate between my tears and the rain by the warmth that the tears brought to my cheeks. “What am I supposed to do now?” I cried out loud.

Chapter 21
“Family”
2020

Sitting outside under a cathedral of redwood trees, I couldn’t help but reflect on the years gone by. It felt like a full circle moment as we three siblings were back in the town of Guerneville, the last place we had all been together as children and young adults before everything in our family changed. But now a lifetime had passed and Mum and Dad were gone. The dysfunction of our family was no longer hanging over us like a dark cloud. We had survived the storm and it was time to move on and focus on the next generation.