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We publish the Christmas greetings letter that a young high school teacher, Giuseppe Nicodemo, wrote to his students in such a special year. Nicodemus teaches at two institutes in Milan.
My dear children
We have almost reached the end of this endless, exhausting, unexpected, tirelessly imponderable year. We all salute him in the hope that he can give us a better ending and a slightly less predictable, perhaps reassuring and comforting start.
2020 was a special year.
It has left us all a little lost, confused. It deprived us of the presence of so many loved ones: your classmate, the list made in class, that look that often knows more than words. We certainly fought, but you were fine, let me tell you. You got tired but you didn’t give up, we didn’t give up.
The school will start beating again, will continue to make noise in the hallways, in the courtyard. And it will make so much noise that it will force everyone to regret those comfortable pajamas and the warmth of home. The wish I want to send you for this Christmas and for this new year to come is that you never lose faith. And by Faith I do not mean trusting in a God, but trusting in your purest essence, in your dreams and aspirations, trusting in everything that can make you happy.
Run after happiness like a ball stringGrab it, tie a knot around your finger, and let go. Sometimes you will feel lost, or you may find yourself thinking that maybe it is too exhausting to chase it. But I assure you, after all, you won’t have to go far to grab it again. The beauty of your young and intrepid humanity is already within you and if you take care of it, it will not be difficult for you to make yourself admire, make yourself loved. I wish that you get lost and then find yourself again. In a renewed hug, to hug you stronger.
You laugh, but you laugh so hard your uvula hurts, savor each moment as if it could not be repeated: each second marked by time will acquire a magical value. Finally, I want you to find authenticity in your life and never take it for granted. Marvel when you wake up in the morning and have your mother make you breakfast, having the people you love and taking care of you by your side. And do you know what I tell you? Once you prepare breakfast for your loved ones, help your mother clean the table, play with your younger siblings, let your grandparents tell you the stories, let you explain your father’s work. Take an interest in your loved ones and tell them that you love them.
Take risks. Feeling vulnerable, open your heart and do not keep everything inside: it is of little use. Dare at the cost of making mistakes. Contrary to what many believe, failure is the greatest test to prove to yourself that you can do it. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Just show what it is. Savor the wonder of waking up every day and just being alive. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that a little ghost can be crowned king and that his crown can unseat an entire humanity without even giving us time to realize it. We don’t play their game.
We fight for the things that make us better and that make us feel good, so it’s really worth it. I know there are vacations now, but I want to entrust you with a small task: every morning as soon as you wake up, go to your window and look up at the sky. Look at that bright glow and remember that after night it will always be sunny.
Merry Christmas
* Giuseppe Nicodemo is a secondary school teacher. He teaches at two institutes in Milan
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