nina

When Nina, Shawn's class pet came for the weekend, there was more cooing from all of us than I would have expected.  There was some remembering of how cute guinea pigs are when they eat lettuce and carrots.  There were stories about my childhood pet "Nibbles."  So much love was given to Nina.  She listened to bedtime stories and was held close by everyone.

But the most precious thing of all was that every night after the sun went down, my little whirlwind of a boy would take Nina out of her cage and sit in the rocking chair with her.  In the silence of the evening, holding her like a baby, he would rock her -- saying nothing, yet saying everything.