Dear Anthony,

I’m currently sitting in the back of a bus next to a Buddhist monk somewhere in southern Laos. It feels like I’m a million miles away from home, in distance, surroundings and in comfort, but for some reason as I stare out the window at the bright full moon in the sky, I feel like we already know each other. Of course, we haven’t formally met and we won’t for quite a while. That is something that I’m torn about. On one hand, I’m torn because precious moments of your life are slipping away from me day by day. I won’t ever hold you as a newborn. I’ll miss out on some special moments shared with Grandpa and Nonna, your Mom and Dad, and of course we can’t forget about Lucy and the rest of the extended family. I’m sure there will be plenty of “firsts” that I miss out on. I feel like I’m out of the loop right now and just know that it isn’t an easy feeling for me. It feels strange that I wasn’t there with you and the rest of the family as you entered this world and started your journey of life. But that brings me to the other side of the coin. On the other hand, I see the silver lining of missing these moments with you. I’m on quite a journey myself, and man… will I have stories for you someday little guy. Some may have to wait until you’re a bit older because Mommy and Daddy probably would prefer me to keep it PG for a few years, but trust me…you’ll hear them all in due time. The bright side of me missing out on the beginning of your journey is that we’ll both have a lot of catching up to do when we finally do meet. And between going to some Yankee and Rangers games, we’ll be caught up in no time.

I’ve been on the road for 4 and a half months, and on this road called life for 31 years. You are a little over 3 weeks into your adventure of life. It took me a while to realize some of this stuff, so I can only hope you’ll pick it up quicker than I did. The world can be a scary place, but there are FAR more people out there who want to help you than hurt you. Don’t be afraid to go against the grain, and do things that don’t conform to most people’s ideas of what is right, wrong, normal, or responsible. Do what is in your heart and most importantly what will fulfill you and make you happy. It’s your life to live and it is too short to not do the things that matter to you. Travel. We are lucky and proud to be American, but seeing what else is out there in the world is important. It’s an education, a tool, a conversation starter, an adventure, and it will open your mind. It’s a killer of prejudices and ignorance. It shows you that there are other ways to live and that no matter how different people seem in the farthest reaching places of the globe, we are all the same at the core. We all want food, shelter and to take care of our families. We all like to smile and laugh. I hope as you get older my stories can inspire you to live your life to the fullest and have some experiences to last you a lifetime.  So welcome to the world Anthony.  Cheers to your journey. Enjoy the ride.

Hugs and kisses to come down the road…until then you’ll be getting tons of them from the rest of our family that you were so lucky to be born into.

Love,

Zio Vito

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12/15/17