The great scientist Louis Pasteur said: «To marvel at everything is the first step of reason towards discovery».

Luigi Ballerini, a writer for young people and a psychotherapist, also reminds us of this in the article that inspired this idea.[1] «Ultimately, wonder is nothing more than a form of trust […] It's the idea that there is still a world to discover, understand, and find. This explains why the loss of this capacity (to wonder) is so serious: without it, life becomes monotonous, a repetition of a weary gaze that no longer sees anything. […] If we lose the capacity to wonder, we don't become more realistic or more efficient; we only lose the possibility of allowing ourselves to be challenged by reality, of recognizing that we ourselves can continue to change and improve through what we find.

Wonder reminds us that not everything depends on us. It is an invitation to embrace it with an open heart, to recognize what life wants to tell us, and to be grateful for it. Wonder evokes awe, that extraordinary capacity of children to open themselves to life and relationships; dimensions that are constitutive of the human being and that, for millennia, have been key to the adventure of human thought, teaching us to step back and go out to meet the people who may be waiting for us, who experience the same daily difficulties and share the same hopes as we do.

Today, the challenges posed by social media and Artificial Intelligence seem to extinguish this capacity: have we already seen it all? And, above all: are we becoming accustomed to everything? Often, it is the small gestures that have the power to reignite our sense of wonder.

To be amazed means to keep alive the capacity for wonder, to learn from new experiences, and to recognize the value of the people and situations we encounter, without resigning ourselves to indifference in the face of pain and suffering. Let us have the courage to look at reality with attention and openness, putting ourselves in others' shoes, offering a listening ear and support without judgment, and caring for those going through important or difficult times.

There are countless everyday stories of struggle, illness, and lives that seem lost or meaningless; and yet, a new and unexpected horizon can always emerge. In families, healthcare and care facilities, and in so many vulnerable situations, it is possible to witness with awe the signs of the most powerful revolution: that of a love capable of going beyond all expectations.

Let us allow ourselves to be surprised with vulnerability and humility by everything that comes our way, and let us not keep it confined to the intimacy of our hearts, but let it manifest itself in relationships, in shared life, in the fabric of future generations.

[1] https://www.avvenire.it/idee-e-commenti/lasciarsi-stupire-dalla-meraviglia-quello-che-i-ragazzi-ci-ricordano_109483