Good News

Our Koa, the two year old Great Dane of Lauren and Max, has become a father! 7 beautiful puppies were born, identical to him, 7 little Sansoni, hungry and in constant motion. It is touching to see them moving around the mother, who is loving and patient as all mothers of the world, as they compete to suckle. It seems strange that animals destined to become so big and strong are so small at birth. The new dad probably did not even realize seven of his heirs were born, but for us it was an unusual event and we hope with all our heart that these little ones find loving families who give them affection and take care of them as it was for their father. Koa, in January, will attend an international exhibition in Milan: needless to say that we will all be rooting for him. Congratulations to the big dog! For us you are already a champion: sweet, tender and reliable!

Good Wishes

At the beginning of each new year, when we finish the celebration and vacations, the inevitable resolutions arrive for the months ahead. The first thought is to get back in shape and loose the weight we inevitably put on during the two weeks of holiday lunches and dinners, as we return to our normal routine at work with good intentions. We find everyone more tolerant, full of enthusiasm and new ideas, determined to make the new year truly special. There are many expectations, like a shot clock after a fateful midnight could really give a major turning point to our lives, but it is nice to think so. The enthusiasm and optimism is a sign of the will to live, to go ahead in spite of everything: what is to be expected in 2011? If I had a wish, I would ask for serenity. It is a word that encompasses everything you could want out of life: who is serene has the world in their hand, their expectations, and they can cope with difficulties without fear, they are comfortable with themselves and with others. Here is my wish for the new year: that each one of you can give yourself lots of serenity.

A serene 2011

In a few hours the new year will start and as always a look at what has happened in the past year is inevitable. Each of us, even for a brief moment, reflect on the good times and others that may bring pain or sadness. In any case what happened during the year that is now ending, adds a new block to our personal history, which still gives us new awareness and experience, useful for the future. Joys and sorrows are part of life and we can not do anything to change what fate holds for us, day after day. The only way that we are able to grow is to use our minds to live every situation with serenity, looking always for the positive even when that seems impossible. It is us who create our own joy: sometimes it only takes a little to change a negative mood, and to transform sad moments into opportunities to reflect, helping us to feel better and see the world with new eyes. This is my wish for the new year, to live every moment with serenity, smiling at those around us and to be ready to face the challenges that face us, whatever they may be, aware of the great heritage that we possess: to have a unique life, different from others, precious and always ready to experience new emotions, to enjoy it until the end. Happy New Year to all!

Merry Christmas

Maybe it is the weather, always ugly and rainy, or the crisis that has affected some of us very strongly, but the fact is, this year the atmosphere of Christmas is very different. I get the impression that it lacks serenity, the enthusiasm for little and big things; in the streets in these days you often see people sad, and very little smiling. Crossing a serene look is rare, it seems that everyone is living in their own world in which there is no room for others. It’s a shame: it is so easy to share with those next to you thoughts and emotions, and the joy of exchanging a few words with a stranger can touch hearts and make us feel good. The news that makes the front pages of newspapers and TV often is dramatic, it is true, but there is not just evil around us; many people need a smile and a gesture of affection and it is unfair to negate this for the few misfits. We teach our children to live with others, not to close ourselves in a virtual world of computers and electronic games. Life is outside, amongst people and not confined within the walls of the house. Christmas is the opportunity to give you moments of serenity, to be together, to talk and listen, to give and receive love, spontaneously, unreserved. Only then will you truly have a Merry Christmas.

HAPPINESS

If there is a word fit to define the party at Lorneza’s it is: happiness. It seems incredible but now happiness has become an integral part of Desert Therapy everywhere and all the time, whether in the desert, city, sea or home. It only takes an occasion to get together and instantly the atmosphere transforms, like magic. Bad moods, worries, sadness pass and we find ourselves laughing, reaching out to one another, because no one is afraid of showing who they really are without reserve, as they lived in the desert. There are no conditions, age differences don’t matter: and the young ones even joke with those who could be their grandparents with spontaneity and joy, and together they plan new travels and get togethers. Topics of conversation never lack that is for sure and everyone is welcome. It is wonderful to know that an idea born in the desert to have people walk with me, has also turned into this. I see the happiness in their eyes, they are well, living a peaceful moment together, and this is not a small thing. It really gives me a lot.

DESERT THERAPY PARTY

Big preparations for the party tomorrow evening in the workshop of Lorenza, one of our travel friends who is allowing us to use her creative space to get together with most of the participants of the diverse editions of Desert Therapy. It will be a splendid occasion to meet new friends and to exchange holiday wishes in happiness and peace, with the desire to see each other again and to reconnect, as happens every time we get together. Therefore tomorrow I will return from my white refuge, where I have been isolated in order to write of my adventure with Fabio, and return to reality. It was a week of full emersion in the desert, with a strong emotional impact that brought my thoughts back to walking with my blind friend and relive the excitement of our unforgettable journey. And the party tomorrow will be the perfect epilogue to a special week.

Virtual Journey

The moment has arrived which I have been putting off, waiting for and at the same time dreading: I am working full time on the new book which tells of my adventure with Fabio. The long pause on the blog was not due to laziness, but the demands of writing again. I don’t suffer from writer’s block, actually it is the contrary, I have so much to tell that I fear I wont have enough space. I am completely immersed in it: with my mind there, in the middle of the desert and I am retracing step by step the journey, to relive every moment as if it were the present, feeling the fatigue even physically. To do this I have to isolate myself, stay alone and be with my thoughts, reconstructing every moment of the challenge. For a few days I decided to leave everyone and hide myself in my little retreat in the snow, to remember the special moments. Also Fabio is working and his writing, very different than mine, is from the point of view of a blind person living a life changing experience. The alternating of our testimonies is fusing together so well and the result is better than my most optimistic hopes. And thus….we go forward!