Tenderness . . .

I came upon this photo among those I took in October when Liz and I attended the papal audience in Rome, and I felt the urge to share it with you. The girl's face is so beautiful, and Benedict was as kind as he was when he gave Liz a personal blessing just after her first brain surgery in 2005. His personal tenderness is really extraordinary, though this little girl could melt a heart of stone.