A few weeks into seventh grade, I was unhappy for a number of reasons, and I felt I was the loneliest girl on the face of the planet. One day, Eleonora, a schoolmate of mine with whom I had never talked before, invited me to a meeting and fieldtrip. When she told me it was going to be a beautiful experience, something that doesn’t happen to just anybody, I thought: “How can Eleonora know that I have been waiting for something like this all my life?” I accepted her invitation. The following Tuesday, we went together to the parish where the meeting was held. I entered the room, introduced myself to a very welcoming group of people, and I realized that I felt good being there with them. The day of the fieldtrip came along, and I was surprised to see how many among the Knights (that’s the name of the group proposing the Christian experience to middle school kids) were enthusiastic and excited; most of all I was struck by the tee-shirts that some of them were wearing, which read: “The journey of life is a feast.” I had found what I had been waiting for. The day was very beautiful, filled with songs and games, in which I shyly participated. With the passing of time, I became more and more attached to the Knights, to the point of feeling I could not do without them. December rolled around, and Maria Antonietta gave me the invitation to “the Promise” (a ceremony where the Knights make a commitment to follow Christ in their daily lives), which was entitled: “You are Magnificent.” Nobody had ever used those words with me. I felt fortunate and happy, like I had not felt in a long time. After the Promise, spending time with the Knights became even more beautiful, just like my days–up until the day when my parents told me we had to move to another city. I was overwhelmed by sadness. I immediately asked Maria Concetta for help, because she is the kind of person who never lets circumstances bring her down, and always helps people see that everything has a positive side. She told me, “You can go now, because you are not alone anymore. You know there is something good for you, and you’ll be able to find the Knights in Tortona, too.” Leaving my house, my relatives, and my friends wasn’t easy at all. I remembered the sentence on the tee-shirts that had struck me so much a few months before and I realized that, since meeting the Knights, I had found a good reason to take risks, I had started a journey, and my life had become a feast. I also realized that nothing had happened because of my doing. Then, why should things be different now that I had to leave? I had changed and I wasn’t alone anymore, even if my friends were miles away. When I arrived in Tortona, I immediately started looking for the Knights, asking at parishes and schools. Every time I received a negative answer, my hope diminished even as my desire grew. All in all, I was doing okay; I had new friends and schoolmates, my new school was beautiful, and yet I felt lost without the Knights. I couldn’t get them out of my mind, so one day I called Maria Concetta, who said, “When in need, the most intelligent thing one can do is ask for help.” She immediately called all the friends she knew, until she found somebody in Tortona. On October 26th, I had my first meeting with the Knights; I invited my schoolmates, and two of them came along. My mother finally understood what the Knights were, and she told me she wanted to know them more and spend time with them, too. I explained that she couldn’t come (it’s intended for middle school kids only), but I asked my new friends in Alessandria to invite my parents to CL meetings.

Miriam, Italy