While shopping for groceries earlier this month, my 7-year-old daughter asked if she could stay in the Easter aisle while I grabbed a carton of milk.  As long as she was in eyesight, I said yes.  When I came back with the milk, I saw her looking up, dreamily, at the shelves of festive toys and goodies.  I also saw a middle-aged couple looking at her as she told me the three things she wanted for Easter and her birthday. 

I said that we needed to check out because we didn't want to stay in the store too long and expose ourselves needlessly.  So she agreed and happily chattered on about Easter as we checked out.  That's when I saw the woman who had been watching her in the Easter aisle, trying to get our attention and waving a twenty-dollar bill at my daughter.  She said "This is for you, bunny!  Please take it and pick out what you'd like."  My daughter didn't know if she should accept, but I said okay.  She thanked the woman four times and then said to me "why would she do that, Mom?"  I explained that the woman saw how patient and helpful she was during this hard time we were living in. So, my daughter picked out two small things for herself, one for her older brother and said "I have five dollars left.  Maybe I could save it for a little kid who was as good as I was!  I told her that was a selfless and thoughtful thing to do.  So now she has five dollars in a baggie in her jacket for the next time she sees a child being a great kid like her!

Thanks for teaching us how to parent in the right way.

Kimmi