This year I attended my first camp with handicapped teenagers. It was a wonderful experience. Right away, a bond of genuine friendship and mutual trust formed between us. Marina, a deaf-mute girl, bears witness to this—we connected immediately. She has the sweetest features, and she suffers deeply when she senses that others don't understand her.
Her parents taught me the common gestures she used to express herself. Perhaps because she saw that I cared about her, she tried to show me her love as best she could.
I hope to see her again next year and spend more beautiful days together.
It was like living in a big family. I felt I was among brothers and sisters, all of them generous, all so loving and trusting toward us helpers. They surrounded me with care and love beyond words—love that even ordinary siblings might never have given me. I tried to give them the best of myself. Though our time together was short, it was enough to change me from within and teach me that the beauty of love lies in giving yourself away.
I want to thank all those young people, too. They gave me so much, and through them I discovered something wonderful.
- Cecilia, 1974