My uncle sal - a miraculous connection

'My Father’s Miraculous Rock Soup’ has brought even more miracles into my life!
 
I had been posting updates about my storybook on social media for several months. This past July, I received a friend request on Facebook from a name that was not familiar to me. I waited a few days, and then I thought, “Oh, why not?”, and accepted the friend request. It was one of the most powerful decisions I’ve made. The ‘friend’ turned out to be a cousin I did not know, Mary, the daughter of one of my father’s younger brothers, Nicholas Rubbo.

Salvatore Rubbo

I had long ago lost contact with my father’s family, I had moved to California with my younger brothers George and Thomas when I was 18, and I was busy raising them and building a new life for us. 

I was so happy to connect with my cousin, and we sent a flurry of DMs back and forth.
 
She told me that one of my uncles was still alive: 

• “Salvatore Rubbo is still alive. He is the younger brother of your dad, Admondo Dondes Rubbo, aka Don Rubbo.” 

She had called him, and let him know that she had connected with his brother’s son: 

• “I just talked to Uncle Sal. He is excited that we have connected. Sal says that he has a lot of stories about your father. He loved to hang out with his big brother Don. By the way, my father was Nicholas Rubbo. He was born in 1923 and was close to your dad. Here is a picture from approximately 1948 with your dad, my dad & my oldest sister.”

 
I was astonished to see photos of my father as a young man, that I had never seen before, as well as old photos of my uncles and cousins. What a blessing and miracle from God!
 
My cousin also said, “Grandma Olive (my father’s mother) always bragged about your Dad and his artistic ability. I heard about the Dove (soap) bar from her as a teenager.”
 
That very day, my Uncle Sal called me, and we talked for half an hour, we had the most wonderful conversation. It was such a delight, and my heart was moved to the core, speaking with my 93 year-young Uncle Sal, and with my new-found cousin, his daughter Cathy.
 
To hear Uncle Sal’s voice (old-style New York City accent), his stories and fond memories of my father, and to see his hazel Rubbo eyes in the photograph of his 93rd birthday celebration, is a true testimony of the deep roots and abiding love of the Rubbo clan.