There are many things about my children that make me proud. I am proud when they do well in school. I am proud when they learn a new skill. I am proud when they work hard to accomplish a task. I am proud when they show increased responsibility and independence. I am proud when they make good decisions. But nothing makes me feel more proud than when I see them exhibiting kindness, love, and generosity towards others.
Yesterday, Staley had an orthodontist appointment to get her expander removed. It did not come out as easily as anticipated. Although there were some tears, Staley remained brave throughout the removal process. The orthodontist felt bad that the process was not as quick or easy as it was supposed to be, so he gave Staley a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble. (To be fair, with the amount we are paying for her orthodontic work, that gift card was actually from us 150 times over.) Nevertheless, she was thrilled. After her appointment, Grandpa took her to Barnes and Noble. Without prompting, she told him that she wanted to get books for Adelie and Briggs too. They were so thrilled with their gifts from their sister, and after giving them to her siblings, Staley then proceeded to sit on the couch to read the new books to them. My heart was so happy.
Although we definitely have our sibling squabbles, all three of my kids demonstrate this love and generosity towards each other. They get so excited about deciding what they want to make for each other for birthdays and Christmas. Each time Staley and Adelie go to the Caring Coupon store at school, they generally buy something for themselves as well as for each of their siblings. When looking through toy catalogs and magazines, they like to point out what their siblings would like as well as what they like. Today at lunch, I gave Briggs a small bag of M & M's as a treat and he saved a few of them for Staley and Adelie to give them after school. All these small moments of thoughtfulness and generosity make me more proud than any ribbon, award, or prize ever could.
