Italian Speeches in English
Isabella Pagani, Michele's Mom
Good evening, everyone. For those who don’t know me, I’m Isabella, and today my heart is doing somersaults!
I’m Michele’s mother, as many of you probably know, and seeing you all here, whether you’ve come from near or far, means more to me than I can say.
I’m also speaking on behalf of Alessio, who chose to be a father, through good times and bad.
To all our friends and family who have come from so many places: your presence here today holds a special place in my heart and in my life.
I must confess that I’m not very good at speeches, and this is the first time I’ve ever tried to give one.
But talking about Michele isn’t so difficult. He has always been easygoing, sociable, and ready to help. He was everyone’s friend, and endlessly curious. Some of the questions he asked… believe me, answering them was quite a challenge!
I can assure you that you would have needed eight university degrees to answer some of his questions fully!
He has always loved animals, especially cats—more than anything else, of course.
But as a little boy, he took great pride and pleasure in filling his pockets with earthworms! His teachers weren’t exactly enthusiastic about this initiative, but he was happy… and that was what mattered most.
We thought he would pursue something to do with science and nature. But when he was ten, a very special passion came into his life: cinema. From then on, films and books became his great loves.
He read everything and watched every film he could, and his world grew ever larger and more extraordinary.
Then, at twenty, he went away for the first time, and I had a very strong, very clear feeling:
“This boy isn’t coming back. The world is waiting for him, and he’s going to explore it.”
The whole world was open to him, and despite a few fears, he would make the most of every opportunity along the way.
I have to say that he chose his path very early, and he has followed it successfully, with courage and respect. As a family—Alessio, Elena, and I—we are truly proud of the man he has become and the way he has stayed true to himself.
My beautiful boy!
One day, I asked him what he was looking for in the person he wanted to share his everyday life with.
He gave me quite a list: handsome, intelligent, well-read, funny… and well-mannered and sensitive, too!
I thought, “Michele, you certainly know what you want. All that’s missing is the white horse, and you’ve got your Prince Charming!”
Then I met Ryan, and I understood immediately that Michele had found his other half—the person who completes him.
I see how happy you are together, and that makes me happy, too, because I know that from today onward, he will walk through life with you by his side, dear Ryan.
I also want to thank Sue and Bob, with all my heart, for welcoming him into their family with such warmth and love.
Because when you welcome someone into your life, you make room for a new story and a new path to share.
Love has no logic and follows no formula. It knows no borders or language barriers, and no obstacle can stand in its way.
It belongs to no single nation or culture, because when it is true, it can overcome every barrier.
It brings people together, offers comfort and peace, and makes the world a little more beautiful—a little more able to welcome, to understand, to smile, and to love.
And so today, Michele and Ryan, I wish you all the happiness that life can bring.
May you always look into each other’s eyes with love, and walk together, hand in hand, following your hearts.
Here’s to you, to your life, to your future together, to all the dreams still to come, and to everything your hearts desire.
With all my love, today and always:
My heartfelt wishes for a lifetime of happiness!
Lara Ermacora, Michele's Witness
“Love is the feeling I love…”
No, just kidding. That's an inside joke for the Italians. Let's move on to the serious speech…
When Michele asked me to give this speech, about two days ago, I wasn't worried at all, considering that, just like him, I absolutely love being the centre of attention in public.
So I decided to start this speech by telling you something… about myself.
When I was a teenager, my favourite movie was Stand by Me. I knew it by heart, from beginning to end, every single line. A bit crazy, I know. But as I grew older, one line from the very end of the movie stayed with me:
“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”
I remember it because, for a very long time, I believed it.
I believed that the friends you make when you're growing up are unique. Because they make you feel at home, even if you hardly ever see them. Every time you meet, they bring back a little piece of who you used to be. And I thought it was pretty hard to find friendships like that as an adult.
And I kept believing that until I was 36 and moved to New York.
One summer afternoon, on Bedford Street, just outside the subway station, I was introduced to this tall guy wearing a battered red baseball cap, who spoke incredibly fast.
I don't really know why, but somehow, it was immediately easy to talk about absolutely everything.
Maybe because, in a way, we'd lived two parallel lives that had simply never crossed paths until then. Or maybe because, just like me, this strange guy was interested in all sorts of incredibly stupid things, but also in some pretty serious ones.
And most importantly, because neither of us believes that anything is ever too serious to joke about.
Although, now that I know him, I'm almost certain the real reason is that Michele had decided he wanted to talk to me. And, as you all know, once Michele has decided he's going to do something, there's really no stopping him.
Unless you're prepared to endure hours of grumbling and complaining.
Anyway, what I wanted to tell you was the story of how I became friends with Michele. An 80-year-old grumpy man trapped in the body of a 30-year-old. Or maybe a 50-year-old, judging by his athletic abilities.
Jokes aside, I look back on that day as an incredibly lucky moment in my life, because I discovered someone who knows how to be there for you, even when things get harder than expected.
And he does it in such a simple way.
Someone who demands a lot of attention, but is also capable of giving you so much of his own. Someone who will probably never tell you openly how much you mean to him, but will show you, again and again, through a thousand little things.
A walking contradiction, basically. But one who, I have to admit, fills your life even when you haven't asked him to.
And looking back at that afternoon in New York, I think there was another reason why Michele and I became friends so easily.
I think we were going through something similar at the time. We were both ready to make choices that, not long before, we probably wouldn't have made.
Those choices you make when you realise that, if you put down your battle axe for a moment, you might actually discover that life can be a little happier.
And maybe that grumpy 80-year-old man was already starting to soften up a little. Because, although I didn't know it yet, someone had recently come into his life.
Ryan. Ryan is one of those people who can turn your life upside down with an incredibly powerful weapon: kindness.
Ryan has a calmness that's entirely his own. And a smile that, personally, always makes me feel at ease. To me, he's one of those remarkable people who don't need to raise their voice or impose themselves to prove anything. They know exactly what they want. They just don't need to make a lot of noise to get it.
He's the kind of person who becomes a constant in other people's lives. Someone solid, someone you know you can count on. Someone who can make you feel calm even when everything around you, or inside your own head, is complete chaos.
Ryan was exactly what Michele needed. And, luckily for all of us, Michele was exactly what Ryan needed too.
I could tell you so many stories about things I've seen over the years to describe how wonderful their relationship is. I could talk about how they support each other, how they take care of each other, and everything they've built together. But the truth is, whenever I think of the two of them, there's one image that always comes to mind.
The two of them laughing.
And not because everything is always easy. There are disagreements, arguments, jealousy, frustrations… I mean, who doesn't have those?
But when I think of Michele and Ryan together, what I see, above all, is two people having fun. And I mean, really having fun. And I honestly can't think of anything better than spending a lifetime together like that. Having fun, laughing, and not always taking yourselves too seriously.
So I just wanted to say thank you, guys. For reminding us that being happy together, with a little effort, can actually be something very simple. And a lot of fun.
Here's to the two of you. And to all the years you'll keep making each other laugh.