This is Rosa. As a young woman – like so many of her generation – Rosa fled a war stricken Italy to start a new life in Australia. She and her husband worked tirelessly in the orchards of Mooroopna throughout their lives whilst bringing up their young family, and then later their family’s young family. All of this in a small rural community, in a country whose language she can barely speak. Rosa is now 94.
By 9am each morning, Rosa has had breakfast, worked in her veggie patch, done a load (or two) of washing and hung both loads out, made the beds, folded the clean clothes, cooked a huge amount of delicious food (for us to eat there and enough for several meals back home), and cleaned up around the house. She achieves more each morning than I sometimes do in 2 or 3 days. She does all of this with arthritic hands, and she can barely walk steadily without the use of a frame. I am in awe of her.
On our last visit, Rosa taught Mick and I to make fresh pasta.
*Photos of me by Mick Minutoli.
2 comments