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When I first left home and Italy I was 20 years old.

A friend and I decided to go and spend some time in Paris.

My mum was supportive of my decision but, like me, I don’t think she realised I would never come to live at home again. I think she thought I was going on an extended holiday, a little bit of an adventure before settling down.

In those first few years of my living abroad we didn’t speak or see each other much. I called her regularly but our lives were so different if was very hard to find something to say.

My mum at her happiest, in her garden, with her precious nipotine

My mum hates to travel, she loves her home, her garden and her cooking. It must have been very hard for her to accept that her only daughter had no intention of settling down. On the contrary I kept travelling from place to place, living in grotty flats, doing all sort of casual jobs and having absolutely no plans for the future.

When I introduced her to Nigel she had been so worried that I was never going to find anyone who would marry me and she loved him at first sight!

Even if he was a tall, Jewish, Australian boy, wearing thai farmers’ pants and did not speak a word of Italian!

I guess she knew by then that I would never go back to live in Italy and the idea that at least I would not move around so much appealed to her. Even if I was going to live in Australia.

Although she does not like to travel she has come to Melbourne many times over the years. She complains about the long trip (but who doesn’t!) and the life style here but she has made the effort and I do appreciate it as it hasn’t been easy for her.

We have had our ups and downs and she wasn’t always accepting of my decision to move. For years, she found ways of making me feel guilty about having “abandoned” her and I resented her for doing that.

But at the moment our relationship is flourishing and I am thanking Skype for that! It took a while to convince my parents that there was a way to talk and see each other on the computer. They don’t like changes and technology scares them. But once they understood how Skype worked they never looked back.

Selfie con mamma!

My mum and I speak at least twice a week. Often it’s just a quick exchange, a little bit of gossip that she knows I would like to hear or something about the girls.

She shows me the beautiful mushrooms she picked in the woods and I show her my bread just out of the oven.

Skype has brought a new dimension to our conversations, now it’s almost like a “dropping in”.

I can see what she is wearing and understand immediately how the weather is in Vallecrosia.

She can see my new haircut and notice if I have a new top.

She can comment on the girls too long hair and too short skirts and, although she is on the other side of the world, they can still experience this delightful aspect of an Italian nonna!

I know it won’t always be this easy, my parents are still young and at the moment chatting on Skype is a wonderful way to feel part of their life but once their health will start to deteriorate it will not be enough. For now though, I enjoy this new found closeness with my mum, our laughs and our gossiping on line have become a pleasant part of our week and I am sure we are both cherishing our time together. I often wonder if we could have been this close if I lived next door to her but this, I guess, I will never know!