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“Are you all from Petaluma?” she asks.
My jaw drops open. “Yes, we are.”
“My son, Filippo, visited with you when he was in America.” Huh?
It must have been about eight, nine years ago.” We are still clueless. She smiles at our be-
wilderment.
“He was Silvia's fiancé at the time, and he came to visit over the Christmas holidays.”
Now it all falls into place. Silvia was a young woman from Siena who had come to stay
with us in Petaluma, shortly after Emma was born, to be our nanny for the season. She
was a free spirit and a talented artist who wanted to explore the wider world and had been
dreaming of California. Filippo was her fiancé in those days, and he had come to visit her
over the Christmas holidays. Nine years later, his father is the gentleman in the bed across
from me.
What are the odds? Jung had used the term “synchronicity” to describe these utterly im-
probable coincidences that weave in and out of our lives. They have occurred in my life at
various times, as they probably do in all our lives. In any case, I'm convinced that if you
try to live from the inside out, letting a destiny unfold rather than relentlessly building a
career, these kinds of experiences serve as indispensable markers that help you recognize
that you are on your life's path. Le Scotte Hospital was the last place I expected to spend
the lovely month of May, but I now have a measure of comfort that I am in the right place
at the right time.
***
Pamhasbroughtmylaptopandsomebookstoread.ItoccurstomethatifIgetoneofthose
USB WiFi plugs, I could actually connect to the internet and do some work while in the
hospital. It looks so easy in the commercials. Six trips up and down the hill and two brands
later, a savvy tech at an Apple computer store finally figures out how to make the damn
thing work in my Mac. I'm wired again. I can pay bills, make hotel and transfer bookings,
and respond to travel inquiries—all from the comfort of my hospital bed.
I spend an hour or two taking care of business every day, but mostly I spend my time writ-
ing. I've had the notion to write a book about the drama of moving to Tuscany and the
experience of living here. I've written a couple things previously for travel websites, and
I've done a few sketches for other topics. I realize that I will have long empty days ahead
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