We have been married for more than 40 years and have three children and two grandchildren.

Michela:
Ever since we fell in love, we have seen marriage as a privileged path, a place where love could always be present; this has given us so much joy and serenity. Of course, there have been happy moments and others that are difficult or painful but our daily commitment to living “The Art of Loving” has illuminated and shaped our life together, also opening it to the needs of others.
Sometimes we have different ways of dealing with things. One day, while I was trying unsuccessfully to open a vacuum-packed package of meat and complaining, Daniele tried to help me by clumsily taking the package out of my hands. I didn’t like the gesture and I replied abruptly: “Then you do it!” and I left snorting. Instead of what I would have done in the past, after a while, by reflecting on the value of being understanding and kind, I returned to the kitchen, I apologized to him, he gave me a kiss and we cooked together. 

Daniele:
Since I worked for 40 years as a professional educator in a prison, Michela also met some prisoners. We    developed a good relationship with a certain boy after he was transferred to our prison and since his sentence was about to end, Michela and I decided to help him find a job and housing.
It was not easy: many told us not to bother, but we were not discouraged; in the end, the last possibility of a job turned out to be the right place for him. All that was missing was housing, and we were beginning to lose hope but by remembering the strength that comes from asking for help and persevering, just the day before his exit we also found accommodation.
Another night, while it was snowing, the doorbell rang insistently at 2:30 a.m.; it was another boy I had met in prison. He was drunk, soaked and desperate, his car had broken down, and he told me he had had a violent fight with his parents. I proposed to accompany him home, but he didn’t want to go. In those conditions I feared for the safety of Michela and our children, but I didn’t know what to do. At that moment it was Michela who suggested that I let him stay with us for the night; it was just what he wanted. The next morning, he asked me to accompany him back to his parents, wanting to start again.

The love that welcomes.
Michela:
The world of the family, with its joys and difficulties is close to our hearts, and those who live in situations of loneliness or precariousness are very important to us.
This outlook helped us when my father, who was not self-sufficient due to a stroke, was widowed. Although we both had demanding jobs and three young children (aged 3 to 14), Daniele suggested that I welcome him into our home. My father stayed with us for four years; with his mood swings and tantrums due to illness, he left us a legacy of the discovery of forgiveness, the preciousness of tenderness and attention to the needs of others. My father was diabetic and my mother used to cook a special menu for him. I continued to do so, until one day he told me: “Don’t prepare my food separately, I will eat what you eat.”
So, for love of him, we all started eating diabetic foods, indulging in some sweets with sweetener instead of sugar. This has also benefited our health.
I noticed how much our relationship as a couple improved when I was ready to listen fully to Daniele, share his sufferings and participate in his joys.
For example, he often visited his mother, initially this bothered me, I thought he was excessive, thinking she was fine and had a caregiver. I was ashamed of my thoughts, until one day I asked myself, “If I were in his place, what would I want?”
At that moment I realized that taking care of my mother-in-law was like taking care of any person in need. So, I tried to grow closer to her, giving her the attention I would have wanted to give to my mother, who I no longer had. 

A Light in difficult moments.
Daniele:
There are times when pain is overwhelming in family life; lately we have been facing a delicate situation with one of our sons who has asked us for help.
After a moment of bewilderment, we threw ourselves into this new reality. Facing this difficulty gives us the strength to look for solutions that we would never have thought of on our own. We are not alone, because so many support us with their affection and presence.
We are certain that “nothing is impossible“ and that even the most difficult situations can lead to a greater good.

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