“I held my breath and told God that here / That perhaps here is the time to stop / There is no pain that can ever be forgotten / Of those who go away like this, without saying goodbye”
Italian musical duo Jalisse has released a touching video to honor the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. The video features hundreds of photographs of grandparents and loved ones who died from COVID-19. The photos were sourced from fans and used with their permission.
The song, “Hope in a Flower,” was written, recorded, and released during the 2020 pandemic. Now, they have created a poignant video that reflects on all that was lost to COVID-19. Of the video, Jalisse wrote in a statement:
“The families and fans who contributed to the realization of this project have given us the intimacy of their affections making us – as a consequence – their relatives. It is a rare privilege for artists to enter homes so intensely.”
Jalisse
Alessandra and Fabio, the married couple who formed Jalisse, sent the video to Italian President Sergio Mattarella. According to SpettacoliNews, Mattarella thanked Jalisse in a letter that congratulated them for their “sensitivity, humanity, and authenticity” in the video. Jalisse also sent the video to Pope Francis.
Pope Francis established the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly in January, 2021. The day will be observed annually on the fourth Sunday of July, near the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ grandparents according to tradition. Pope Francis explained the celebration:
“The Holy Spirit still stirs up thoughts and words of wisdom in the elderly today: their voice is precious because it sings the praises of God and safeguards the roots of peoples,” the Pope explained. “They remind us that old age is a gift and that grandparents are the link between generations, passing on the experience of life and faith to the young. Grandparents are often forgotten and we forget this wealth of preserving roots and passing on.”
And today we celebrate...