"I felt ashamed to go back to work, go out to dinner with my husband, or go to the hairdresser to take care of myself. I once went to the hairdresser and heard another woman whispering, “What the hell is Elena doing here? "If I had a sick son, I would stay home."
I would go home and take a bath to get rid of all the "dirt" piled up outside. I said to myself, "Slander me, what are you doing?" Out of anger, I ruined my newly arranged nails at the hairdresser, because I felt bad that I had taken care of myself. Those looks, those words, remind you that there is only one place to stand: next to your son who is being treated. Those glances stop you from thinking of anything other than illness.
There is something else that stops you from coming back to life. It is the feeling of guilt for the luck you had, because I have many friends I met in the hospital, even those mothers like me, but who do not have their children. So I tried to hide my happiness, but those mothers told me: "You should not feel ashamed" and it was thanks to them, Valeria, Elena and Valentina, who stood by me, that I came back to life with the right emotions. and that I already feel freer.
Today I am grateful that my men, Giacomo and Bernardo, are with me, and I am grateful that I have received one of the most valuable lessons in life, which I want to share with all women. Do not feel unclean, do not feel guilty. I have felt a wrong mother, but I do not want to feel that way anymore and I do not want you to feel that way either. Do not be afraid to come back to life! ”
By Elena Santarelli
Elena Santarelli is a TV presenter, actress, showgirl and former Italian model. Her son Giacomo suffered from leukemia, but after many sessions of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she managed to beat the cancer. In her words, she shows us once again that no matter how many problems we have, we still have to take care of ourselves. When someone is sick at home, the whole house "gets sick". And it is not at all necessary in our own words to point out to someone where he should be at a given moment. Everyone knows where he should be, we do not have to remind him and in the face of life's difficulties, there is no mistake in finding a few minutes to take care of yourself./bota.al
