In the arc of my family’s history, there have been many hardships—grueling emigration, job loss, war, poverty—much of which I can’t fully relate to. But in the growing crisis that has paralyzed Italy, the U.S. and much of the world, I now have a glimpse at just one of many unforgiving realities that our ancestors faced for much of their lives.

It gives me pause, and it will define a portion of my life. This will be the experience I tell my grandchildren about. They’ll sit in awe like I once did, while listening to my nonno and nonna.