My marriage began in Fede e Luce, and it was natural for our children to grow up in our community, sharing baptisms, birthdays, Christmas masses, camping trips, and celebrations of all kinds. Their participation was not a choice they made themselves, but they've lived it as something entirely ordinary. For them, Fede e Luce is a school of life where they move and participate with ease: sometimes they're content, sometimes less so.
As parents, we never set out with particular goals or worked toward a predetermined end. Now that our eldest is thirteen, though, we see the deep marks that Fede e Luce has left on the way she thinks. Here's an example: in her class there's a girl who has difficulties, and our daughter treats her differently than her other classmates do. She gets frustrated and speaks up when teachers and peers won't give this girl time to express herself—when they rush to do everything for her because they think they're helping. Our daughter has learned that everyone has their own abilities, and everyone deserves proper space and full respect as a person.
Children bring a breath of freshness and naturalness to Fede e Luce's gatherings. They don't distinguish between "normal" and "different": they won't accept that "the disabled person should be treated with more patience." They treat everyone the same way.
Of course, having children in a community isn't always easy to manage. Ours includes seventeen children between one and thirteen, and sometimes there's real chaos. It's hard to plan activities that work for everyone—parents, friends, teenagers, and little ones. But we didn't think that was reason enough to keep them away: they too help the group run well. The mothers especially enjoy having these children around, and they've given us invaluable advice. Our San Valentino community has adopted a "babysitting" system for the younger children during certain times: it's right that they have their own moments to play together while we adults get to enjoy real conversation.
- Huberta, 2003