tender-hearted

My daughter Sarah was only 5 years old when we visited the NC Zoo in Asheboro, NC. At the petting zoo, she could not resist touching and in her own way comforting a big furry, trembling rabbit. She has always been tender hearted. She is drawn to the fragile and weak. And she cannot resist the urge to reach out and touch them. She once found a baby cardinal that had fallen out of its nest. She brought it home and raised it to adulthood. Then she taught it how to fly and eventually set it free. After university and graduate school, she became a career diplomat. She remains drawn to the fragile and weak. In Albania, the Congo and Ethiopia, she worked in programs to feed the hungry, protect the oppressed and help establish democracy in war torn regions. Her empathy has matured. Her reach has grown. But for me she remains, that sweet tenderhearted girl always reaching out to touch and soothe the trembling soul.