This text brings together the writings of Francesco Gammarelli and testimonies from people who knew him well and held him in deep regard—parents and friends alike.
The title expresses a wish Francesco often spoke aloud: that other parents, through their friends, might discover the hidden treasure within their handicapped child.
"We spent so many happy days together, full of hope and plans. Francesco was our anchor. Everything we faced with anxiety about our little daughter, he had already walked through. That became our spiritual and moral strength—it lifted us out of the darkness and into light." (A father)
"We learned from him to keep things in proportion: the vastness of God's love for us, set against the small, ordinary moments of his life—eating, needing the bathroom, singing, playing games with everyone, swimming in the sea, spaghetti with clams, a ride in a minibus with those friends of his who looked a bit rough around the edges to the world. Nothing, really, to get a swollen head about.
There are people who live through hours of 'glory' and become only a page in a history book. There are people who live through hours of 'power' and end up as a few photos in the newspaper. And there are people who live through hours of 'needing the bathroom' and remain in our hearts as an example that never ends." (A friend)
"For eight years, his whole heart and his whole life was turned toward Jesus and toward the well-being of people with mental handicaps, toward supporting their families, and toward Faith and Light throughout the world." (J. Vanier) We encourage parents and friends of people with mental handicaps to read this booklet. It will open your hearts and rekindle your hope.
M.B.