Simona Hope Maroccini
28/01/2021
A Letter to You
“Because the life of others is their life”
This is a story I will tell because Simona is no longer with us, or better still she will always be with us forever.
I didn't know she was already sick when in the car we started talking about what was the turning point for her that pushed her to become vegetarian or vegan
As mentioned, we were in the car, driving to the presentation of my book “Cavoli Nostri” in which I'd written a preface for her, telling the story of Melampo, the association that she'd been directing for 20 years. Melampo had welcomed hundreds of abbandoned cats and dogs, offering them a lot more than a shelter.
She told me that at the start there wasn't enough money for nuggets so they had a deal to collect scraps of food, often scraps from the butchers: these were tremendous, there were easily recognisable anatomical parts. Parts that had the same form as our beloved little cats and dogs.
This is what moved something inside of her which she decided to elaborate on: Simona wasn't afraid to get on a computer, connecting herself to YouTube and searching for a video made in a slaughterhouse.
For those who knew her, this wasn't strange, Simona had always been like this: she wasn't afraid, or better still, she always wanted to look fear in the face, to show it that she was stronger.
From that video on nothing was the same as before to her eyes. From then on the change.
In the various meetings that we had together to present the book that I'd written, I always willingly left the word to her because of the two of us, hers was the important story.
She had the beautiful words. The experience of a strong and courageous life was hers, much more than mine.
And one day she concluded with a phrase that seems obvious but in reality contains the meaning of everything:
“The life of others is their life!”
Respect comes from here: no other beings life is mine but my own.
Simo thanks for having existed and because you will always be with us forever!
With lots of love
Sabri
