Lucia's Dream

Very dear Ladies, 

I would like to share with you my experience regarding the fulfillment of a goal which I thought to have put in my ‘drawer of dreams’, and totally forgotten!  Never to be realized! 

After my marriage and move to the south of Italy long ago in 1986, I decided to enroll myself at the University in Naples in the faculty of Sociology.  With time, and after completing a few exams, my attention began to drift towards other priorities in my life: the Faith, my family and work.

Even though I was very happy to dedicate myself to these important activities, deep within my heart there was still the desire to finish my courses at the University.  So when our second child began Nursery School I decided to give myself another chance! 

          By now I was more a 33 year old and decided to enroll in the faculty of Letters and Philosophy,  choosing to graduate with a degree in the Conservation of the Artistic Patrimony of my country.  The fear and embarrassment were very great and if it I had not been a Baha’i, I surely would have dropped out with the first difficulty, but with the shield of the words of Baha’u’llah:

“O friends! Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed, neither be neglectful of your high destiny. Suffer not your labors to be wasted through the vain imaginations which certain hearts have devised. Ye are the stars of the heaven of understanding, the breeze that stirreth at the break of day, the soft-flowing waters upon which must depend the very life of all men, the letters inscribed upon His sacred scroll.”,

I felt and received a strength of such power as to be able to face every anxiety.  

Certainly these Words were not directed to me; however, they were of the greatest assistance and in four years, one after another without interruption, I received my degree with the highest grade of Magna cum laude, which I consider as a precious gift from Baha’u’llah! 

          During these years of study, my dear husband Neysan made many selfless sacrifices for me and I believe to him goes a very special part of the credit.  My girls had very few difficulties because my attention was often turned to my studies, but I do believe that at the heart of all this it served as an example of a “model student”. 

I assure you that all the sacrifices which I had to face have been forgotten; in fact, I have begun to miss them quite a bit!, so much so that I have now registered once again for a very special two year course at the University which would be for a degree in the Science of Languages, History and Culture of the Mediterranean area and of the Islamic Countries.  Will I be able to do it this time?  We will know in two years! Or perhaps more!!

From my heart, I would sincerely like to encourage everyone to forget how old you are and your limitations, because truly it is never too late to realize a dream and I can assure you that besides finding myself with the title of this much desired degree, my marriage, my community, my dear friends and my family have lived this wonderful experience together with me! 

With deepest love to all, 

Lucia