We'll See Our Friends Again
September 18, 2009: Our Faith and Light group gathers for the first pizza night since summer break. I think to myself: how wonderful to come back together after a long stretch away, when it was just the three of us—my son, my husband, and me. Now we'll see our real friends again.
What a joy it was. Nearly thirty of us were there, like one big family where everyone—young and old—shows up because this gathering matters more than anything else we could be doing. That's especially true for the families; we parents have so few regular moments like this. I hope that in all the years ahead, I'll keep these same eyes and this same heart for what this means.
Elisa Sturlese, Milan
Siblings: A Real Answer
I've been reading your magazine for many years, and I was especially moved by your recent issue on siblings of people with disabilities. My name is Laura. I'm 24, and my brother Francesco is a wonderful young man with Down syndrome—he's 23. I'm grateful that your magazine has lifted up our role, which is still too often overlooked. Only in recent years has the scientific community finally recognized us as an "active" resource for the whole family.
For several years now, I've been part of Siblings Onlus, an organization for siblings of people with disabilities. The group started twelve years ago in Rome, thanks to Dr. Anna Zambon Hobart's sensitivity and the determination of several siblings to create a space where we could share our experience and support each other. Over the years, our mutual-aid groups have spread across Italy and remain our primary work.
Maybe in a future issue, we can tell you more about who we are! For now, I invite any siblings who are interested to visit our website: www.siblings.it and join our mailing list:
info@siblings.it.
Thank you!
Laura Cappellari
A Wedding at Faith and Light
Thank you for letting me share the deep joy I felt at my daughter Imma's wedding to Gaetano, a member of our Faith and Light community, Il Germoglio, in Naples.
The emotion was overwhelming—seeing my daughter so beautiful in her wedding dress, and my son Pasquale so happy for his sister marrying Gaetano, someone he's grown very close to over two years in our community. Their love, born and nurtured in Faith and Light, will surely receive a special blessing from the Lord.
The most moving moment came when the bride and groom, at the altar, read the Faith and Light prayer aloud with all of us. Right then, in the midst of the ceremony, they gave all the young people from both communities a small tile with a boat painted on it—the symbol of Faith and Light.
It was perfect. You could feel everyone's tears; I heard sobs throughout the church, mine among them. And then—I can barely describe this—when my son Pasquale stepped forward as his sister's brother, and all three of them held each other in one enormous embrace, so full of love and emotion... I still get chills thinking about it. I want to thank everyone there for those precious moments and for making this ceremony unforgettable. My wife and I wish the newlyweds every happiness in the world.
Lello - The Father of the Bride
Well Done
Dear friends, I wish I had better words to tell you how moved I was reading the latest issue of Ombre e Luci. Every page spoke to me. Each piece felt special, and I'm sure your work has brought comfort to so many readers. Bravo!
I wish you a good year ahead, good health, and peace in your hearts.
Natalia
Baby Sitter Opens in Senigallia
July 2009: After Piedmont, Lazio, and Lombardy, Baby Sitter is now in the Marches—specifically in the city of Senigallia.
"I'm proud and happy," says Gianni del Corral, President of the Baby Sitter Association in Turin and creator of the service. "Senigallia is an important city and can become a summer meeting point for member families from other regions. I met Isabella (President of Baby Sitter Senigallia) about two years ago and saw in her enthusiasm and professionalism the right person to carry forward the association's mission in the Marches. The fact that she's also a hospital clown says a lot about her dedication to the most vulnerable. She was among the first babysitters to volunteer in Abruzzo after the earthquake, offering her services at ANPAS-run childcare facilities." If you'd like to contact the Baby Sitter Association Senigallia, call 3384376105 or email babyxitter.senigallia@gmail.com