day 14

Today is a sad day for me because my beloved grandfather just passed away and I'm far from my family. But I want to post some positive thoughts anyway, using them to remember him.

So far, I haven't spent a lot of time around the little ones, mostly because they have their own teacher and they are still quite shy. But having seen me around already for a few days is changing things. Yesterday, during the break one of them simply came to me and took my hand. This simple gesture for him was a big success; he gave me a huge smile and immediately ran away. Others saw him and did the same, becoming more and more courageous. Compared to them I am like a giant.

They started hanging around me, trying to ask my name with their super basic English. There's no need to say that they were saying it in many different and wrong ways. Then I had the bad idea of taking one of them and raising him over my head. I wish I had never done it. From that moment on, every time they saw me they started grabbing my hands and my arms saying "take me, take me!!!", everybody wanted to be the next one, and I became their private carousel! I grabbed them under the shoulders and I lift them the highest possible. They laughed. It's so nice and rewarding when it's so easy to make them happy, no matter what my back says at the end of the day.

My grandfather even over 90 was always like these kids, always ready to laugh, make a joke and enjoy the simple and true things of life.

Ciao nonno Lollo, I really hope that like they say here, you now are in a better place. I love you.