My husband and I two years ago made ourselves available at the Catania Juvenile Court for adoption. To date, we are waiting for a possible call that may not even come soon. This is precisely why we decided to take action in the meantime in another way. Enrico and I have the strength, energy and time to devote to children in difficult situations, and almost by chance, we came across the cultural foster care organized by MetaCometa. What does it consist of? Taking the child or young person to the theater, around museums or to the cinema, in short, we try to enrich some moments of the day with a bit of culture.
With the day care center workers, we decided to meet a few afternoons to start getting to know the children. Slowly, also on the instructions of the operators, we approached a pair of siblings, a 10-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy. The siblings spent their free moments, especially on weekends, at home, this because their living reality did not allow them to entertain themselves in any other way (they live in a village on Mount Etna that is poorly connected and out of the way).
This volunteering is helpful to so many couples who are waiting for an adoptive match and who can enrich themselves and be helpful to other children.
It also serves to revise one’s ideas, one’s beliefs; it is an experience that can be useful in many ways in welcoming a child in a more serene and conscious way.
Unfortunately, there are many emergencies: in the day care center we have touched the needs of so many families and so many children in need of closeness and love.
We live this experience with calmness but also caution. Bonds are made and they are beautiful but it is always important to respect the boundaries that exist. We know that we could never be parental figures and so we like to think of ourselves as uncles.
There is caution but not closure: we take confidence slowly. We are with an open heart, serene step by step.
