Italian greetings. As the winter storms sweep across the US, may this note find you in good spirits, with your Medicare insurance coverage keeping you safe, dry, and warm.
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Sicily survived Cyclone Harry, north African winds captured Mediterranean moisture then coupled it with a low pressure that slammed into Mount Etna (blanketing the volcano in snow and clouds), producing days of flooding, heavy rain, high winds and destruction. The island shut down.
The streets of Catania were empty and the pictures of damage were unbelievable. Even the US bases closed.
After four days of darkness, the glorious sun returned and life began again.
While visiting our Air Force son, my working day begins at 4 and finishes well after midnight. Mornings are my down time, time for black coffee and reflection.
So it was with surprise that on the first day after the storm, I heard music wafting up from the streets below, trumpets, drums, and voices waking me from my morning stupor.
I threw on my shoes, grabbed the phone, and raced down five flights of stairs (Nicholas’ apartment has no elevator), eager to discover where the music was coming from…
I came upon the candelora, a massive votive candle tower weighing several tons, carried with straps of rope and leather, covered with flowers, saints, lamps and banners, carried by one of the neighborhood guilds, a practice run to prepare for Sant’Agata, the holy festival in February.
The men carrying it are called devoti—volunteers from the neighborhood who train for this role year after year.
Each candelora belongs to a specific quarter, passed down through families and streets. In a city shaped by volcanoes and storms, protection has always been local, practiced, and shared.
The kids run alongside it, close enough to feel the weight and hear the commands. They learn by being there. In a world of screens, resilience still comes from presence, shared effort, and carrying something real.
This began as a Pagan ritual, then added Roman beliefs, then Christian, and the meaning continues, tying a people to a place, time out of mind.
Here are just a few of the headlines from this week’s paper:
- Wheel falls off passenger jet onto ✈️🛞Sicily Beach🏖️
- Sinkhole 🌧️🕳️swallows car amid Sicily downpour🚗😬
- Police find cocaine🔍❄️ among spicy sausages🌶️🌭
- Mafia baptism ad 👶✝️📺sparks anger in😡 Sicily
So when you live in a place like Sicily (or the U.S.), looking for meaning and protection in a world that can’t be controlled makes sense.
Praying with the rhythm of the saints and being part of a tribe is a great way of connecting—staying steady when the headlines, the weather, and the ground itself refuse to cooperate.
So this week, give thanks for being above ground, connect with people you love, look for ways to help others, and do a few simple things that help you stay steady—no matter what the headlines are doing.
Keep asking, “What’s the next big thing?”
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Karl Bruns-Kyler
(877) 850-0211
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Karl Bruns-Kyler is a Medicare insurance broker and independent Medicare agent licensed to help Medicare recipients in thirty states around the country, including:
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