Then, it passes

Getting lost in the world of the little ones, you quickly learn, no matter what happens, that there can be no good reason to throw yourself down for more than five seconds.
A little voice, from the bottom of the earth, has just finished whispering to your sadness and your long face, to your dull eyes and thoughts slowed by boredom that it is time to wake up: «Then, it will pass». And it waits for the instantaneous reactivation and prompt recovery of its favorite playmate, who looks worriedly from below to above. «You are better».
These are the next two words that it appeals to, always with its gaze turned up there, eyes inside eyes, waiting for the fateful word, yes, to announce the end of the time of tears, yawns and sulks, because the time to play and run together must have finally come.
The program is already ready for the hours to come: he will perform, with you at his side, in a spectacular display of little animals arriving from the five continents, with musical instruments lined up ready to make noise that would be enough to make an entire orchestra play. And then there is the ball rolling in a corner for a super match against the wolves team, in short, there is not much to be worried about here.
Good humor can only be lost for the things that are truly important: put on the shirt without the lion and go to sleep without having watched Snow White. And I will unleash hell. But only for a little while, because then, the evil must go away, everything must return to its place, it is the natural law of the world. Whatever the destination, just race to see who gets there first and the smile returns. "Then, it will pass." And you will feel better. And we will feel better together. To fill our hearts with what makes us feel good. With what makes you laugh and makes us laugh. To play at finding each other without hiding. To let you lift yourself off the ground even when you could do it yourself. Locking ourselves in a hut and ruining your belly with tickling. Peeing in the shower. Becoming a dog or a cow. Making up stories that start badly and end well. And if something can't be done, no problem, just pretend. "You're not sick."
It's a plea and an intimation, an imperative and an order, a non-negotiable request for happiness. It's the life inside you that screams its desire for company. Because feeling good is a magic that can only happen if we're together. And we're here. Feeling small, small, in front of you, who believes that we're all made to feel better. That there's no need to be sad, because then, it passes.
And if in the middle of the night bad thoughts come and we get lost in the darkness, just hold on tight, tight to something strong. "I want a hand." And when we're no longer alone, it really passes.


Marco Grossetti
NP February 2025