At about forty years of age trouble hit Mom.
Among several other things she developed a severe case of acne. I think it was at this point that she began praying to God quiet regularly.
How do I know?
Every day at about 2:00 PM or so my brother and I would have to take a nap and remain in our rooms until 4:00 PM. This my brother did faithfully. Not me. I had a hard time staying in my room.
I did not realize it at that time, but this was giving Mom a break from having to take care of us. Mom use to refer to me as “perpetually motion”.
Many times I came out of my room at 3:00 or 3:30 hoping to have my rest time discounted and it was in those moments that I would find Mom praying in a low voice while by herself in her room.
Later Mom told me that while she pushed me around in a baby carriage she would pray, “God there is another mother somewhere pushing a daughter around and I pray for her daughter. Please prepare her to be Roland’s wife”. Years later when she met my future wife, Maurizia, she immediately took a special interest in her and had all her Christian friends praying for her. She had some befriend Maurizia in the city of Bologna where Maurizia lived.
I believe God answered Mom’s prayers. Maurizia has been an extraordinary wife.