Sometimes life presents you with an opportunity you cannot say no to… and sometimes you’re lucky enough that life presents you with this opportunity for the second time around! I had already been part of “Capodanno Alternativo” for the year 2022-2023, and when the Sisters of Charity posted on Facebook about “Capodanno Alternativo” 2023-2024, I immediately signed up!
I am not sure where to start, because it’s not easy to put in words the experiences and the emotions that are lived throughout this short but very intense experience.
There is always that initial sense of anxiety because you are not sure what to expect, and you know only a couple of the people who will be participating in this experience. However, once we arrived and we met the other youths and the Sisters, the anxiety in me was soon transformed into enthusiasm and energy. We didn’t sleep or rest much. In fact, we were often rather tired and sleepy, but illogically, I felt a huge sense of energy and motivation. It was like we were charging each other.
In the mornings we had very interesting and profound moments of reflections, and afterwards we were encouraged to continue the reflections in an individual manner.
These were some of my favourite moments of the day. I would find a place in nature because I felt that nature helped me to achieve a sense of tranquillity and to reflect on important life questions. Accompanied by the song of a crow, the sound of the breeze in the leaves and branches on the trees, the scent of the oranges and the vivid colours of the parrots; I would enter another dimension, away from the rush of the modern world and the many worries that usually haunt my mind. These meditative and reflective moments helped me to feel better, in body, mind and spirit.
In the afternoons we would go to the soup kitchen, or rather “la mensa”, where we would dedicate some time to the homeless and poor. This was also a very strong experience for me. It often comes natural to us to judge people based on their appearances, but after spending some time with these people, you come to realise that beautiful souls can be found everywhere!
I was reminded of a verse from the beautiful song “Via del Campo” by Fabrizio De André, where he sings “dai diamanti non nasce niente, dal letame nascono i fiori”. This is to say that, beautiful things can come from what at first glance seems good only to be put aside, while sometimes those things that seem to be the brightest and shiniest leave us with nothing.
In a similar manner, amongst the persons that live in the hostel and eat at the soup kitchen, one can find beautiful souls and hearts that are capable of so much love. I am grateful to them for having accepted to share a part of their lives with us. It was intense, looking at their faces, listening to their stories and, on New Year’s Eve, singing, dancing, and partying with them. My favourite memory of the soup kitchen, that I will carry with me in my heart forever, is seeing their smiling faces during the bingo and the feast of New Year’s Eve. Their smiles brightened up my soul and gifted me with a great sense of satisfaction and contentment.
Finally, I am very grateful for the friendships which were created with the other youths from Malta, Italy, Romania and Albania, as well as with the Sisters of Charity. have nothing more to add but one word: “Thanks”! Thanks to all the youths, thanks to the Sisters of Charity, thanks to the poor and the biggest thanks goes to God, for having accompanied us in every moment throughout this experience (sometimes through a friend, other times through the sisters, and often through the poor)!
Martina S. – Malta
