Learning That The World Is Not All Bad

This children's residence is not an orphanage. Orphanage is a bad name.  Humans do a thing & name it & see thereafter that it's terrible. Seeing that it's terrible, they call it by another name. Is that terrible thing now gone then?

Is a child without parents any more an orphan than this boy, Christian Andre, whom authorities just removed from his home because his parents had him living in the barn with the cats & dogs? He is 4 years old. He cannot walk or talk or sit or see well. Yesterday morning, new at this children's residence in the wing of the hospital in Barlad, Romania, he held his body rigid, negatively reactive to all stimuli. He flailed, drew back, swung his head vigorously from side to side for hours as he lay in a crib.

Then, over the course of one small day, yesterday, he unwound due to pure human love & the gentle touch & tender words of strangers from America. He lolled! He luxuriated as we massaged his bird-like limbs. He leaned against our bodies like a little potentate, king of this new world of nice people & full bellies.

-- la reverdere