Dignity

Today I went shopping with my girlfriends. I told them I wanted a really  feminine dress to wear with a bulky cardigan and boots. We stopped inside a shop and picked out this cream-colored dress with lace and we all went to the dressing room so I could try it on. I put it on and loved it, walked out of the dressing room to show them and realized that there were two men sitting there waiting as their women tried on their clothes. I then turned around and realized that the back of the dress was transparent.
I lost it.
Can't I even enjoy five minutes of free time with my girlfriends without having to bare all to a couple of strangers?
Can a woman have some peace!!!
I kind of went off on the men, but they didn't budge.
I got the dress because my friends convinced me I looked ten years younger in it, and I'll just have to hide the back with something.
I wanted something feminine.

Earlier in the day, I sat sipping a cappuccino as the sun streamed on my face.
I smiled.
The Italian situation is moving. There are pediatric refresher courses scheduled in Campania, Abruzzo, Marche, Sardegna, Calabria and Puglia just had one.
We built a machine designed to educate pediatricians on newborn hearing screening and it's actually working.
Two and a half years ago I asked the USA, Hands & Voices and Prof. Karl White for help and they gave it to me.
Immediately.
They didn't NOT respond to my emails. They didn't say WAIT. They shared.

And that has made the difference in millions of Italian children's lives. Really.

And now my child.

My child left a comment on fb that he feels alone, like it's him against the world. He said it in a joking but serious kind of way. We're dealing with adolescence. I went through the same thing where my mouth was always lightyears quicker than my brain. Still is:-) We talk about this situation all the time. We're growing through it together. Still hurts to see your child experiencing growing pains.

I'm tired.
I'll be sleeping in tomorrow.
There's still so much work to be done.
And the work is working.