Remember: "Andrà tutto bene"

Throughout Italy, COVID-19 has closed the doors on beloved “caffès”, left historic churches empty for the first time in centuries, and forced all Italians to be strictly quarantined within their homes for weeks. Physical paperwork is needed if a visit to the grocery store is warranted. Outdoor physical activity is prohibited, for large fines will be granted if anyone is found beyond 200 meters from their residence. One of the world’s most social countries has become one of the world’s most socially isolated. As an American living in northern Italy, I have quickly learned the translation and meaning of the phrase “andrà tutto bene,” meaning “everything will be alright.” As simple as it may sound, this phrase has been the countrywide expression of solidarity and can be found on homemade posters proudly draping from windows north to south. We all hope these words will ring true, everything turning out alright in the end, when we reflect back on this time in history. How will you reflect back on this moment when the doors of our homes are finally reopened and we are free to return back (in the best way we can) to normalcy? Maybe some of us will miss the intentional moments with family, the gift of time allowing us to learn something new, or even the return to simplicity that we may have lost. Whether in Italy or in the United States, there is a list of things out of our control at the moment- the good news is we still have the choice to make something beautiful and worthy of this broken-hearted time. As you go about your day today, please join Italy and me by remembering the simple phrase, “andrà tutto bene.”

Written by Madeline Riley, LMSW