Steven

9 yrs old, 3 ft 6 in., 55 lbs and a freckled face of joy.  I have never seen so many smiles from such a younster and yet I´ve never seen love work so powerfully.

I sat across the courtyard by the cafeteria as we persuaded the boys to head to bed at this late hour.  His shadow was nothing special as he emerged from his cabin across from me and trekked across the lit courtyard and directly onto my lap.  His speckled brown eyes stared right back at mine with little arms laid nestled under his t-shirt for warmth.

His body seemed weightless as I lifted him up, carried him into the cabin and into his bed.  I made sure to tuck in all sides of his blanket and even around his feet while his little chuckles made me smile with delight.  I knew instantly that this was a new experience for him; yet, he wanted it, enjoyed it, and needed it.

It was a joy to look down through my window above the boys bunk room and see little Steven tucked in with comfort while the other boys danced and bounced on their beds.  Any other night he would be right there joining in the fun.  But tonight was different, he had been tucked in for very likely the first time in his life and he just wanted to lay in the moment.  Without moving or shifting he stayed still and quickly fell asleep after experiencing just one shade of the power of love.