The concept of fun is subjective, a truth beautifully illustrated when three pious Italian nuns were granted a divine second act. Having faithfully passed through life, they arrived at the gates of Heaven only to be given a temporary ticket back. St. Peter explained they could return to Earth for six months as anyone they wished, free to indulge any whim. For women accustomed to prayer and penance, the offer was gloriously overwhelming. The first nun’s mind went to music and connection; she wished to be Taylor Swift, to feel the pulse of a crowd and the power of a melody. She vanished in a shimmer.
The second nun thought of strength and reinvention. She asked to become Madonna, to embody audacity and artistic evolution. With another shimmer, she was gone. St. Peter, expecting a similar grand request from the third, was met with serene silence. He prompted her gently. The nun smiled and uttered a simple, unknown name: Alberto Pipalini. Puzzled, St. Peter scanned his celestial records for statesmen, artists, or innovators by that name. He found none. He asked the sister to clarify her choice, wondering if it was a mistake.
The nun then shared a fragile newspaper article she had kept close. It was a human-interest story about a man from a small Italian village voted “happiest person alive” by his neighbors. Alberto Pipalini’s life was not extraordinary by conventional standards. He owned a little wine shop, took long walks with his dog, played cards with friends every Tuesday, and was known for his unfailing kindness and ready laugh. His wealth was measured in friendships and sunsets, not possessions or accolades. He was famous only for his joy.
St. Peter threw his head back and laughed, a sound like rolling thunder. He commended the sister for her astonishing insight. In seeking to become Alberto, she was not seeking an experience of doing, but an experience of being. She wanted to inhabit a life where happiness was not a destination or a reward, but the very fabric of daily existence. As he sent her on her way, St. Peter marveled. The first two nuns had chosen to taste the pinnacle of earthly achievement. The third had chosen to taste the pinnacle of earthly satisfaction. And in the economy of the soul, her choice might just have been the most luxurious of all.
