— Chapter 6 —
Sunlight crept through the curtains to his bed. Cory’s eyes shot open—he didn’t need anyone telling him to get out of bed that Saturday morning. Scurrying out from under the covers, Cory began to put on his clothes for the day.
“I can’t wait for today!” he thought, pulling on his socks, “A day at Big Bob’s and then camping…nothing gets better than this!”
Overwhelmed with excitement, Cory hopped from side to side as he fitted on his shoes, “Get up, Quentin, it’s time to go!”
Pulling on his baseball cap, Cory all but ran out of his bedroom, backpack in tow. Within an hour of waking, Cory and his housemates were piled into the van with their Houseparents. They were headed to Big Bob’s, a kind man with a boat, a lake and a heart for hurting kids.
Cory stared out the window, watching the trees pass by. His fingers tapped in his lap, aching for the time that was to come.
“Fishing, swimming, tubing… I can’t wait,” Cory thought, “This time, I’m going to jump off that dock. I’m not scared anymore!” A smile was carved into his expression, like it had been there all along.
Within a few hours, they arrived. Spilling out of the car, the boys rushed toward the fun.
Cory and his housemates spent the weekend laughing, smiling and cutting up with one another. Big Bob enjoyed it right along with them. Cory’s Houseparents, too. For that weekend, they forgot about their struggles. There was simply fun.
What Cory and the other boys didn’t realize—yet—was that they were simply getting to be kids. The struggles and crises in their lives had all but stolen this from them, but then came Eagle Ranch.
Eagle Ranch. A place to ride bikes and to play basketball. To laugh and play hide-and-seek. A place to lay in the grass and pick out animal shapes in the clouds. A place to build forts, and to learn to swim. A place of hope, and of healing. That was Eagle Ranch…a place that gave them back their childhood.
Cory’s story is one of many children’s stories from Eagle Ranch. Your support goes toward providing a home, counseling, education and spiritual guidance to children in crisis. Consider making a gift at EagleRanch.org/GIVE