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I taught him something new. "Eat" and "boat" were the only two words he knew, yet he said these two simple words with enthusiasm and passion. When he smiled, his hazel eyes glimmered with curious innocence and his lips curled in naive playfulness: childish, but sincere. He laughed at the ordinary things in life -- a butterfly fluttering on a leaf, a ball rolling across the asphalt -- but his laughs always rang joyously, untainted …

…with a new understanding. On the last day, I stood in the driveway of the camp waiting for my ride to the airport. There he stood before me, all five-foot-nine of him, with that silly grin and outstretched arms, ready for a bear hug. I approached him, this time without hesitation. When we pulled back, we both had watery eyes. I taught him something new, but in the end, he taught me so much more.