Sweet Ride

See those three boys? Julio, Anthony and Anthony. They are twirling on the threshhold between two lives. The one they live in their homes and the one they live at Dakota House. They go back and forth between the two, adjusting their behavior to suit what is expected of them.

Yesterday they spent most of the day helping us move. Scrubbing out the oven (one of the Anthonys is still working off his theft debt to us so he got stuck with that job), packing boxes, carrying stuff down the street to our new location... that sort of thing. But they had to leave by a certain time to get to a party with their family and neighbors. I saw glimpses of that party as I walked back and forth on our street. It was your usual hood soiree, with all the amenities. And there were my boys, their demeanor changed, scowls on their faces, gangster attire donned, taking it all in and living it. My heart broke.

But just a few hours earlier, Anthony had been a little boy. I was walking back to the new place and he came up behind me on his bike. "Miss Jamie--wanna ride?" And he pointed to--yes, that's right--his pegs. Lucky. You know I hopped on. And Anthony and I laughed and bumped and flew down the street, his laughter and mine being the sweetest sound I heard all day. For those few minutes I saw the innocent boy he still is, and I thanked Jesus for giving me that moment. Jesus must love me a lot to allow me such a privilege.