I am a friend in one of the many Fede e Luce communities across Italy. I found Fede e Luce almost four years ago. In that time, I have received more joy than I can remember experiencing before—I find myself often thinking back, and many of my happiest memories are tied to outings with the young people, to trips, or simply to Fede e Luce songs sung together.
But for some time now, my joy and peace have been troubled. I struggle with a question that weighs on me, and I cannot find an answer: what happens to these young people when both their parents die?
Over these years, the mothers in my community—women with whom I have sometimes clashed (generational misunderstandings, perhaps)—have become an example I want to follow. Their strength of spirit, the serenity with which they face each day, have been among the most precious lessons I have learned in my young life. It is their affection that sustains me, but above all their respect and the trust they place in me—I feel that trust deeply at every meeting. Yet how do I answer their trust in me, their trust in us friends of Fede e Luce? How can I let go of their children, the people I love most, simply because no one will be there to walk beside them anymore? I know it is not just a question of transportation—if it were, my old car could solve something. Surely Fede e Luce cannot follow these young people throughout their entire lives as an organization. But that means it becomes only a passing experience, something that lasts "while Mom and Dad are well"—not something that lasts "forever." Yet Fede e Luce builds friendships and bonds of love that cannot survive uncertainty. They need "forever" to flourish. So what happens after the mothers are gone?
I am a small friend with no answers, only questions—I have no connections with institutions, only the resources of my love for these young people, and I simply cannot see beyond. Please, give me at least one hint, one clue about where to look. You have always shown such commitment. I am asking for your help.
I will be grateful.
A friend of Fede e Luce, 2002