This will be the only blog post you will see from me that has not been made better by virtue of Jessica’s comments.  These will be my thoughts and mine alone.

Imagine your reaction were your significant-other to ask you to say good-bye to friends and family, farewell to profession and social circles, adieu to the currency and arrivaderci to the language.  I dare say, you may suggest that he or she is in store for some psychiatrist’s couch time.  Well, that is precisely what I asked my wife to do two years ago.  Her response: “Let’s do it.”

Those of you who know us have some sense of what her answer meant, but I knew how much love there was in it.  It’s different for me: I am nearing (quickly) my sixtieth birthday, celebrating 23 more of them than has Jessica.  I am at the end of my career.  She is making a name for herself in live television broadcasting.  I have watched children grow, parents mature and grandchildren arrive.  Jessica has only long-distance between her and her family to look forward to.  I have wearied of the social scene and black-tie events.  Jessica has experienced far fewer of them than I have.  And still, she said, “Let’s do it.”

Now, I’m not suggesting that she is sacrificing all to accommodate my whim.  Our Italian life doesn’t suck a lot and we are frighteningly happy with it.  She has jumped into this adventure with enthusiasm to match my own.

But I do know, and am profoundly appreciative of the fact that Jessica is giving up a great deal to allow me to live this dream and I can think of only one reason for her incredible gesture: she loves me.

We frequently say the words, “I love you,” to each other, and we do mean them.  But, showing love is what’s important and I have been shown in a moving way how much Jessica loves me.  Someday, I swear, I will show her how much I love her.

So Happy Together!