Full disclosure demands that I acknowledge that notwithstanding his vocal prowess, my father-in-law Giuseppe Bozzomo has no piano-playing skills of which I am aware. Today however he is eighty-eight years old.
Joe and the Giant Pancake - Belmar 2017
My father-in-law is an extraordinarily brave man, whether or not he realizes it. Twelve years ago this June, the center of his universe - his wife Susan - lost her extended, spirited five-plus year battle against cancer. I was in the hallway outside of her room at Somerset Medical Center while he sat inside, holding her hand, and saying his goodbyes to her. He emitted the rawest, saddest cry I have heard - or hope to ever hear.
He was a widower in his late seventies when his wife died. He could have disconnected from life and from the world around him. He did not. Less than one month following Suzy B.'s death, Joe watched the first of his grandchildren, his granddaughter Megan, get married. In the years since, he has watched three more of his grandchildren marry and has welcomed the arrival of a dozen or so great-grandchildren. He adores them...and they adore him right back.
Joe and Maggie - Christmas 2019
Happy Birthday, Giuseppe. Keep being brave. Your courage is contagious.
Your style, on the other hand, is uniquely yours.
Joe on the beach - Belmar 2016
-AK
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