The Transformative Power of Peter

When Joe, a young assistant who was extremely shy and insecure about speaking English, moved into our house, he was drawn to Peter. Peter doesn't speak at all. He has a wonderful way of taking your hand; his touch is very gentle. He likes to sit close to you on the couch, often with his feet in your lap or wrapping your arms around his body. Joe wanted to be Peter's friend and began to be very attentive to Peter's gestures, his sounds, his smile. Especially when Peter was in pain, Joe tried to hard to understand, to listen to Peter's body language. Their friendship grew. Joe accepted to be the house leader because he wanted to create a good home for Peter. Joe developed so many skills of organization and became quite a good communicator. It was an amazing transformation to witness.

- Mary Bastedo