Page 6 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, July 26, 2024 Longtime Everett resident, Maria Bruzzese, formally of Cleveland Ave. turns 100 on July 28th By Sheila M. Bruzzese A special birthday party was recently held for Maria Bruzzese, a former Cleveland Ave. resident. Her granddaughter, Sheila M. Bruzzese made a special toast and tribute to her Nonna, where she lovingly stated, “You may not remember, but years ago you had a conversation with my friend, Cathy. Being Italian and knowing you had a long and interesting life as the matriarch of our family, she was eager to sit and chat with you. After, she said to me, Wow, your Nonna is amazing. You certainly are amazing, Nonna!” In the story, Cathy tells you that “You’re the Queen!” to which you replied, “Yes, I am!” The story made me smile but honestly, I didn’t quite get it. You Maria as a baby. Mid-grade Regular $3.87 3.19 73 64 Over 45 Years of Excellence! Full Service $2.99 Order online at angelosoil.com are saintly and pious. You read the bible for hours every day, you’re very proper and humble, and you blush easily. Don’t get me wrong, you may go to church every Sunday but you’re no Wall Flower or Shrinking Violet either. You can hold your own and very willing to speak up when you have to and defend your opinion. But still, in my mind, a Queen is ostentatious, vain, cold, selfi sh and certainly not the caring, loving, cookie baking, gravy makAs a young woman. ing Nonna we all know and love. Over the years and especially these last few, I’ve learned a lot more about you and your journey and it dawned on me, you really are a Queen. You are, Daenerys Targaryen! Yes, you are the Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons and your real life was like The Game of Thrones! I think it’s an understatement to say some of us have taken it for granted the events that took place so many years ago that got us here today. And now 100 years later, our family owes it all to you. Queens are born and breed to be fearless and that’s what you are. I imagine you got your strength from your mother, little Nonna. Your mother was no diff erent from you. Strong and Courageous. After losing her husband Georgio at the age of 38 with 6 small children she had the choice - TO FOLD OR FIGHT. Little Nonna chose to moved forward and carried on for herself and for her children AND apples don’t fall far from the tree…. Forza is in our bloodline! You were strong and unwavering in your pursuit of a diff erent, hopefully better path. You traveled across the ocean and back facing challenges and obstacles we can only imagine. Like a Queen, you did what you had to do to survive because it wasn’t a fi ctional mini series, but a real quest for survival and legacy. A REAL Game of Thrones. Mothers are selfl ess and endure silently to keep a brave face. Although you and Nonno were a team, I’m sure it was your heart that pounded most when you fi nally put your 12-year-old son, your oldest and most dangerous Dragon, Vincent Bruzzese (my dad) on the ship from Calabria, Italy to sail to America. As a woman and a mother – you sacrifi ced a lot, took unbelievable risks, and made incredibility tough choices for the Maria today. greater good to ensure the future of your children and their children too. THANK YOU. Like, the seamstress you are, you sewed the pattern for us to follow and weaved the fabric tightly keeping it together all these years. Hopefully, we don’t disappoint and continue weaving newer threads with different blends and textures into the original silk fabric creating a stronger, ever-growing tapestry. I think we honor you, and you and Nonno, and the family sacrifi ces by remembering your story, your truth and using it as a compass. Using it as an inspiration and motivation to keep moving forward. Keeping our eyes ahead but looking back from time to time to remember who we are and where we came from. Today, your 100th birthday is good day to remember who YOU are and what you mean to us. You may not wear an actual crown and we are not royalty but you are GEM more valuable than any throne or treasure and we’re lucky to have you in our lives. Although we love them, YOU ARE SO MUCH more than cookies, gravy, and turtles. Nonna, you are Woman. You are Mother. A trailblazer. Fierce and Feeless. You’re a Warrior. Striving, Enduring and Steady. You are the Heroine of OUR STORY. Buon Compleanno, MARIA BRUZZESE. A True Queen. Ti amo per sempre, Sheila Maria, now lives in Gloucester with her daughter, Rosa and son-in-law Bob Ladd. Hosted by her daughter Rosa and son Joe Bruzzese, the celebration of her beautiful life was held at the Cruiseport Gloucester this past Saturday and attended by over 100 family members and friends. For her special birthday, she was presented with a Letter of Recognition and Congratulations from Cardinal Sean O’Malley and soon she’ll receive a Presidential Greeting from President Biden. !
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