Don’t worry, is just sleep debt…”
“If you are reading this, then I am no longer among the world of the living. At least not in the world of the living as we know it. I am writing this letter because if there is one thing that has always distressed me, it is funerals. Not that there is anything wrong with funerals, saying the last goodbye to your loved ones is one of the most human and most poetic things ever. However, every time I thought about what my funeral would be like, there were always two things that I couldn’t stand: not being able to be there and say the last things, and not being able to console those dear to me. In addition to not being able to participate, but that’s another story… And so, here I am, I have decided to write my last words, and I thank whoever is reading them. I don’t want to leave you anything other than what I have experienced, and since this is the last time I have the chance to say my piece, I will only say the essentials without superfluous things or anything else.
I want you to know first of all that I have lived my life happily, without exceptions, and I have lived it as a simple man, with moments of joy and difficult moments, with the desire to do well, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing miserably. Since I was a child, as you well know, progeria has profoundly affected my life, although it was only a very small part of who I am, I cannot deny that it has greatly influenced my daily life and, last but not least, my choices.
I do not know why and how I will leave this world, surely many will say that I have lost my battle against the disease. Do not listen! There has never been a battle to fight, there has only been a life to embrace as it was, with its difficulties, but still splendid, still fantastic, neither reward nor condemnation, simply a gift that was given to me by God.
I have tried to live as fully as possible, however I have made my mistakes, like every person, like every sinner. I dreamed of becoming a person who would be spoken of in schoolbooks, a person who was worthy of being remembered by posterity, a person who, like the greats of the past, when they are named, they are done with reverence.
I do not deny that, although my intention was to be a great in history for having done good, part of this desire was also due to selfishness. The selfishness of those who simply want to feel better than others. I fought with all my strength against this unhealthy desire, knowing full well that God does not love those who do things for themselves, but despite this I have not always succeeded. I realize now, as I write this letter, imagining what my last moment on Earth will be like, that it is the most stupid desire one can have. Personal glory, greatness, fame, are nothing but a passing thing. The love that is created in life is eternal, because only God is eternal, and love comes to us from God. If there is one thing I have never regretted, it is that I have loved so many people in my life, and so much. And yet too little. Those who know me know that I am not the type who likes to give advice, but this is my last chance…so I beg you, my friends, love those around you, do not forget that our traveling companions are never the means but the end. The world is good if we know where to look!
In many things, as I have already told you, I was wrong! For a good part of my life I thought that there were no totally positive or totally negative events, that it was up to us to see the good sides or the dark sides. Sure, it is a good philosophy of life, but it is not everything! An event can be negative and be totally negative! What is up to us is not to find something positive, but rather to act on the right path, to endure, and, for the love of others, to transform a negative event into a positive. It is not about finding the positive sides but rather to create them, and this is, in my opinion, the most important faculty that God has given us, the faculty that makes us human more than anything else.
I want to let you know that I love all of you, and that it has been a pleasure to walk the path of my life alongside you. I will not tell you not to be sad, but do not be too sad. As with every death, there will be someone among my loved ones who will cry for me, someone who will remain incredulous, someone who instead, perhaps without knowing why, will want to go out with friends, be together, laugh and joke, as if nothing had happened. I want to be by your side in this, and let you know that it is normal. For those who will cry, know that it is normal to be sad. For those who want to party, know that it is normal to party. Cry and celebrate, do it in my honor too. If you want to remember me instead, don’t waste too much time on various rituals, pray, of course, but also take some glasses, toast to my health and yours, and be cheerful.
I have always loved being in company, and that is how I would like to be remembered.
But it will probably take time, and if I really want to console and leave this world so as not to make you feel bad, I cannot simply tell you that time will heal every wound. Also because it is not true. Therefore I want to speak to you frankly about the step that I have already taken and that everyone must take sooner or later: death.
Even just saying its name, sometimes, makes your skin shiver. And yet it is a natural thing, the most natural thing in the world. If we want to use a paradox, death is the most natural thing in life. And yet it scares us! It is normal, there is nothing wrong with it, even Jesus was afraid. It is the fear of the unknown, because we cannot say that we have experienced it in the past. But let us think about death in a positive way: if it were not there, we probably would not accomplish anything in our life, because after all, there is always a tomorrow. Death, on the other hand, lets us know that there isn’t always a tomorrow, that if we want to do something, the right time is “now”!
For a Christian, however, death is also something else! Since Jesus died on the cross, as a sacrifice for all our sins, death is the only way to truly live, it is the only way to finally return to the Father’s house, it is the only way to finally see His Face. And as a Christian, I faced death. I didn’t want to die, I wasn’t ready to die, but I was prepared. The only thing that makes me sad is not being able to be there to see the world that changes and moves forward. For the rest, however, I hope that in my last moment, I was able to see death as Saint Francis saw it, whose words have accompanied me throughout my life. I hope that I too was able to welcome death as “Sister Death”, from which no living being can escape.
If in life I was worthy, if I carried my cross as I was asked to do, now I am with the Creator. Now I am with my God, with the God of my fathers, in his indestructible House. He, our God, the only true God, is the first cause and the end of all things. In the face of death, nothing makes sense except Him. Therefore, although there is no need to say it, since He knows everything, as I have thanked you I want to thank Him too. I owe my whole life to God, every beautiful thing. Faith has accompanied me and I would not be what I am without my Faith. He has changed my life, he has collected it, he has made something extraordinary out of it, and he has done so in the simplicity of my daily life.
Never tire, my brothers, of serving God and behaving according to his commandments, since nothing makes sense without Him and because each of our actions will be judged and will decree who will continue to live forever and who will instead have to die. I have certainly not been the best of Christians, indeed I have certainly been a sinner, but now it matters little: what matters is that I tried to do my best and I would do it again. Never tire, my brothers, of carrying the cross that God has assigned to each one of you, and do not be afraid to ask for help in carrying it, as Jesus was helped by Joseph of Arimathea. And never give up a full and confidential relationship with God, willingly accept His Will, because it is our duty, but do not be passive either, and make your voice heard loudly, make your will known to God, as Jacob did, who for having shown himself strong was called Israel: He who struggles with God.
Certainly, God, who is mother and father, who in the person of Jesus experienced every human weakness, and who in the Holy Spirit always lives in us, who are his Temple, will appreciate your efforts and will keep them in His Heart.
Now I leave you, as I told you I do not like funerals when they become too long, and I have not been brief. Know that I could never imagine my life without you, and if I were given the chance to choose, I would still have chosen to grow at your side. I am happy that tomorrow the Sun will rise again…
My family, my brothers, my friends and my love, I am close to you and if I am allowed, I will watch over you, I love you!
P.s. “Don’t worry, is just sleep debt…”
Sammy Basso
Who was Sammy Basso?
Sammy Basso (12/1/1995 – 10/5/2024) was an activist affected by progeria, a rare genetic disease that causes premature aging. He founded the Italian Association of Progeria Sammy Basso (A.I.Pro.Sa.B.), to promote research on the disease and raise public awareness of progeria, collaborating with researchers and doctors. He was deeply rooted in the Catholic faith, which always represented an important support for him. He spoke openly about his relationship with God, finding comfort and strength in prayer. His faith guided him to live with serenity and gratitude, despite the difficulties imposed by the disease. Sammy graduated in Natural Sciences and continued his studies in Molecular Biology at the University of Padua, combining his passion for science with a strong sense of spirituality.
