Stewart Home is, after all, a special place where the love of learning must sometimes take a back seat to the learning of love. Where better to begin the endeavor than in the company of creatures that so thoroughly embody the gift of unconditional love?

There are those who profess not to understand the bond between humans and animals. They were puzzled by the outpouring of sympathy for Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro after his serious injury in the Preakness, and by the grief that followed his death. They ridicule pet owners who regard dogs and cats as part of the family. But for most other people, kindness to friendly beings on four feet just seems to come naturally. That certainly must be the case for Jim, who for 41 of his 53 years has lived at Stewart Home and for the past six years has had the responsibility of tending the animals in the equine program, rising at dawn to perform his labor of love.