Everyone has something that brings out the tenderness in them. I think it is one of those good things about humans. We can’t help ourselves. With some, tenderness is prompted by a unique situation, but common to most is the tenderness we feel when holding a baby. I’m not sure whether it is the urge to protect a helpless, little person or something more complicated. I’ve watched such encounters turn a tough, obnoxious man to mush, but the most consistent response is from mothers and grandmothers. The physical is the most important, but the urge to do something for the little ones can also be intense. Many women who have never touched a knitting needle other than when helping their mother clean up a sewing room, are figuratively hooked on the new skill of knitting. Surely they have tenderness in their hearts as they churn out the booties, caps, mittens, scarves, and the really big challenge, that first sweater