Love, Faith and… playing cards

We stood around his bed and prayed for a miracle. Please don’t leave us, we selfishly thought. We wanted him to stay because our world would be so empty without him, but we knew that peace waited for him on the other side. Hospitals can be cold and sterile places, but this room was filled with family, friends and so much love. The cancer ate away the remaining minutes of his life. He took a breath, and with it his flickering flame went out as the air expelled from his lungs for the last time. His head ever so slightly tilted to one side, and screams engulfed the room. His wife and children hugged his body.

Uncle Louie’s death left a hole in our family. In November, I sat in a loft in Palermo to write a piece in his memory. In particular, about his passion for playing cards, and his theory that you can find cards in the street. I didn’t believe him at the time, but as I explained in my previous post, I do now. I have found cards in every corner of the world since he passed away in 2008, and I always find them at a challenging time.

I found another one today.

I am studying cinematography at Australia’s number one film school. I had a practical assessment today. The task was to replicate a scene from Donnie Brasco in 45-minutes. I had to direct and film the scene, as well as manage my crew. I was nervous and full of doubt. That changed when I walked onto the set, and my eyes locked onto a playing card. I smiled, picked it up, and slipped it into my pocket. “I’ve got this, Uncle Louie,” I thought.

I did. I passed my assessment.

Thank you, Uncle Louie. Forever in our hearts.