As a child, I often thought about what my brother would be like if he didn’t have a disability. Every time that thought crossed my mind, I would tell myself: “Why am I thinking this? Maurizio is perfect just the way he is.” We argue sometimes—well, that’s normal, we’re siblings… But if today I’m so sensitive, trusting, and fairly empathetic, I believe it’s also thanks to him. And I also like to think that without Maurizio I would never have discovered Fede e Luce: a place where I truly feel 100% myself, where I feel at ease and can show who I really am.
Just yesterday, in the video telling the story of Fede e Luce, there was a sentence that really struck me—I felt it was deeply mine. For a person—for me as a sister, but also for a parent who has a child with a disability—it’s hard to live in what’s considered a “normal” situation, because you always feel like you have something different compared to others. Other people say, “My brother does this and that”… well, Mauri does those things too, but in a different way, and so you always feel like you’re not the same as others, not enough… Instead, as I grew up and brought others closer to Fede e Luce, I realized I wasn’t the only sister with a brother who has a disability. This reassured me and helped me find new ways of relating to Maurizio. He may seem like a little angel, but he really isn’t at all. Fede e Luce truly helps you understand so many things.
