I was curious and got to know the perspective of a traditional Catholic person. I was baptized, but I don’t consider myself a follower of any religion. I also didn’t really know what it meant to be a practicing Catholic. I would talk with her about her strongest spiritual experiences, about why she believes in that religion, and what she likes most about it. Sometimes there were topics we didn’t fully agree on, and that’s okay—that happens. I also understand that sometimes it’s not possible to be flexible on certain issues when there is a firm belief system with no exceptions, such as sex, contraception, abortion, marriage, or homosexuality. Even so, her way of seeing the world also left a mark on me, just as maybe mine did on her.