An extraordinary everyday lifev

It is almost 9:00 at the Arsenale dell'Incontro and the first bus enters the main gate, stopping in front of the entrance. The door opens and a small cascade of children and teenagers pours into the square in front of the arsenal, welcomed by teachers and educators who were there waiting for them.
After greetings and a few words, the bus usually leaves… but not today. Stay there, still: a little girl doesn't want to get off. Her teacher looks inside the bus and calls her: «Gena, come! Your friends are waiting for you! We have so many beautiful things to do together!».

Nothing doing... Gena realized that this morning she didn't say goodbye to her dad before leaving the house and she decided that the bus should take her back to give him a hug and then come back here. Five, almost ten minutes go by and finally little girl and teacher get off the bus by the hand. Her classmates and the other teacher celebrate her and together they head to the sports field. Here we do some gymnastics to the sound of music, then in small groups there are those who play soccer, those who train to dribble and score baskets... but this morning Hummam decided to play alone. She has caught a ball and runs from one side of the field to the other, regardless of her teammates. For a while he is let loose, then little by little he is made to understand that it is time to go with the others. But he doesn't want to know! He gets angry and plants himself in a corner with his head between his knees. It's time to go back, but he still doesn't listen to anyone from his corner. Everyone makes as if to leave... to see if being alone might change your mind, but that doesn't work either.

The boys and teachers have all left the pitch by now, but his partner Khaled stays at the goal for a few more moments, then turns around and – with his typical calm gait – approaches his partner, pats him on the head and hands him the hand: «Come on, are you coming?». Hummam gets up and smiling joins the others.
Applause for him and Khaled from everyone, emotion within us ... and off to the Arsenale to continue with the various activities of the day. Nothing special, a day like any other, there are those who will practice Arabic and mathematics, those who will listen to a story with the speech therapist, those who will use educational games to refine their cognitive skills, those who will try to give space with musical or artistic activities to emotions, who will have to deal with tasks and small responsibilities and who will have to work on independence and personal care.

Seemingly a daily routine that repeats itself. In reality it is an everyday life that knows how to flow in the midst of normality even when the unexpected or a problem bursts in, because it has learned to be flexible and to put the person in front of it at the centre.
Even when Noor suddenly bursts into tears because the fatigue that lives in her takes the upper hand, or the times when Saif needs a time and a space all of her to release a tension that risks becoming aggression. In these and dozens of other similar situations, this house tries to be a village where everyone who arrives with her story, with her burden, can find listening and acceptance. It's nice to see that this attitude is becoming more and more a part of everyone's life. Sometimes it is the same children and young people who tell us or remind us with their gestures, their smiles and their willingness to be together.

Meeting Arsenal - Madaba - Jordan
NP February 2023