By Anna D’Ulisse, April 7, 2019 — I was a crossing guard for 7 years after the company I worked for as a seamstress closed down. I loved being a crossing guard because I love kids and I love being around them, but when my first daughter had her first child, I quit right away. My joy is my grandchildren. This was the best thing I did in my life. I never ever regret doing this. When Marcos was born I automatically felt the love. He entered my heart the very first time I saw him. Marcos was my first love and that’s why I call him “Amore Mio.” This is my love for the rest of my life.
When Marcos was three and a half months old when I started to watch him and it was a full-time job. I watched him every day until he was 11 years old. In between another beautiful joy came into my life which was his brother, Matteo. I call Matteo my joy and Marcos my love. This was another full-time job. We had such a good good life. I would take them from 7 in the morning until 5 at night and my son in law did a great job bringing them both here and picking them up every day. The first time Marcos ever came to my house, his mother kissed him goodbye and she said to me, “Momma, you can give him his first bath.” This was such a beautiful moment to me and I will never forget it. From that day on, I have enjoyed every single minute of being with them. I wish every day that I can go back. Now I hope I get the chance to babysit my grandchildren’s children one day. The strength of love I felt for them since the very first day they came to my house only gets stronger and stronger every day. I have a lot of joy and there’s nothing I can complain about. I remember watching them play all day in the backyard and having fun all the time. I remember there were days where they would get dropped off, have breakfast and stay outside literally all day until they got picked up.