Dear classmates, we are Matteo's parents, and today he begins a new school year with you.
We wanted to introduce you to our son, even though you've always known him around school as the "assistant secretary." This year, you'll get to know him better—his strengths, his weaknesses, and his limits. Take his shyness, for instance. It often makes him keep his head down and skip hellos. But that's just a mask. Underneath is a genuine desire to embrace everyone.
Matteo has been doing Judo for two years and holds a yellow belt. He's been with the Milano 5 Scout Group for quite a while now, and what he loves most are the monthly outings and summer camps—sleeping under the stars in tents high up in the forest, in the mountains near us. In summer, he loves hiking with us to hunt for mushrooms, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
He's also a passionate photographer. With his digital camera, he photographs everything and everyone, capturing the smallest details.
Another passion of Matteo's is animals—especially dogs. There's his own dog, Lucky, whom some of you may have met already. But whenever he spots any dog on the street or in the park, he can't resist going up to it, petting it, and asking its name.
Matteo is a very sensitive boy. When he feels left out, it hurts him, and he responds in odd ways, withdrawing further. It's important that you see him as you see anyone else—without fixating on his difficulties or his difference, but remembering that he, too, is someone who wants to be with others. He'll learn your names soon enough. And you'll discover in each of you the same qualities that make him, and all of you, unique and irreplaceable.
Over this year, you'll come to know many more sides of Matteo. And as we've said, if you're not afraid to accept his "difference," you'll uncover the richness he has to offer.
How a person grows, the man he becomes, and his capacity to bring out the best in himself often depend on the people he meets along the way. Teachers, coaches, and mentors matter. But so do his friends and classmates—the people we measure ourselves against, especially during adolescence. Some of them become important anchors for us. That's why we ask you, as parents who trust you've learned the true value of friendship and the need to feel welcomed for who you are: help us. Include Matteo in everything your class does this year.
We thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for the patience and attention you'll give Matteo.
With warmth,
Mario and Luisa Ferrini, 2009