Hiya. This post is for people who like to see regular photos of the children. I took these last month for my mother-in-law’s birthday.
There are two specific events from the last two weeks that I want to remember.
Event One:
It finally snowed one day, and the middle child volunteered to shovel a friend’s driveway. He worked for most of the afternoon, and when the job was done, the friend offered him a $5 bill, which the child graciously accepted.
Later that evening over dinner, the Engineer asked to see the money the child had earned. Middle child reluctantly replied he didn’t have it.
“Why not?” we asked.
“I didn’t need it,” he said. And then he went on to tell us how when no one was looking he had quietly and discretely left the money on the friend’s desk.
“I didn’t need it,” he repeated.
Event Two:
The oldest child has a mostly quiet and reserved nature, but the effect of her goodness on people is startling. I recall a year ago when she spoke in front of a large gathering at Grandpa’s funeral. Her 8-year-old’s tribute to Grandpa was more than I think anyone expected. She made us all laugh; she made us all cry. Most of all, she gave us hope. To look at her and listen to her—eloquent, funny, beautiful, brave, and good—was to know that life goes on. And that it’s going to be awesome.
It was the same last Sunday. She sang “If The Savior Stood Beside Me” in church in front of probably 200 people. Whoa. Grown men cried like babies. (And not just the Engineer.)
I don’t know if this space is the right place to record experiences like these, but I feel compelled to write them down somewhere, and I hope they uplift and inspire you like they do me.
Have a great weekend.
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