Monday, March 21, 2011

Lessons Learned

The highlight of our weekends is usually the time we get to spend with the boys at a local residential home. Even if I'm feeling slightly crabby, or absorbed in a problem of my own, when we walk onto that unit, and thier faces light up - nothing else matters. Regardless of what we end up doing that afternoon - fixing their Mp3 players, making cookies or just playing a board game - I know that I got as much or more out of the visit than they did.
One of the boys is prolific writer - he eagerly shows me his latest chapters in his book, or the newest addition to his play. His writing is autobiographical - and heart-wrenching for me to read. But it's his resiliency and motivation - despite the horrors of his recent past - that strikes me the most. He wants to get published - and I don't know the first thing about it - but we're going to work on it together. Because his determination and belief in himself is undeniable.