HaPpY 8th BiRtHdaY CoLe!

~breakfast donut and song from his mom, and brother~

Can't imagine my life without this guy!

ThE MoUnTaiNs ArE CaLliNg...AnD i MuSt gO

~everything you can imagine is real~

far away in the sunshine

are my highest aspirations.

i may not reach them, 

but i can look up and see

their beauty, believe in them,

and try to follow where they lead.

-Louisa May Alcott

ShOw tHeM..

~That moment when you show your kids how to live, instead of tell them~

We went to the grocery store to get treats for Cole's birthday tomorrow.  When we checked out I had a thought to take out some cash, which I never do.  

As we drove out of the parking lot, an elderly homeless man, shaking from Parkinson's, holding onto his walker held a hand-written sign, and a smile on his face.  I never want to be the judge of when someone else needs help or not so I usually give a few dollars, or whatever small cash I have in my wallet, usually less than $5. 

I rolled down my window and reached the $5 out the window.  He had to stumble with great effort over his walker to get the money.  I wished him 'good luck', and drove away.  My kids are used to seeing me do this.  Half a mile down the road I had a very strong feeling I should go back and give him more money.  I became emotional and struggled with whether to turn around or not...I was almost to my neighborhood, and I had pop-cycles in my trunk.

I pulled the car around, and drove back.  I gave Cole the money from my wallet I took out when I was paying for the groceries, and told him I wanted him to jump out of the car to hand it to the man when we pulled through the parking lot again. 

As we pulled around, I saw 1 out of 5 cars in line hand him some money.  I was sure he wouldn't remember us.  I pulled around, and as Cole jumped out to give him the money the elderly man looked me right in the face and said with a smile oh his face, 'oh you are back'.

I tried not to cry as I told him I had a strong feeling to come back and give him more.  He began to tell me he needed to find better shelter, and he was grateful for me

turning back around.  He touched my kids faces through the door of the car as they smiled at him and gave him well wishes.

We had to leave as cars pulled up behind us. Cole asked, 'Mom, why was that man shaking so bad, and why did we go back and give him the money from the store?'

I got the opportunity to share a lesson with my boys. I had their undivided attention because of the homeless man. The lesson was not judging others, and helping them when we can.

'We can't always help, but when we can, we should'.

We talked about how sometimes things happen to us beyond our control.  I asked Cole if he remembered daddy getting cancer.  He said 'yes'.  

I told him that the old man's body got sick, just like his dad's body had.  I could see him grasping the concept of humility as we talked about it. I explained how the man's shaking would make it really hard for him to work, and that's probably why he was asking for money.

Cole asked me if people helped us out when we needed it.

I said, 'yes'.

My kids sat back in their seats, and seemed to feel compassion for the situation the man was in.

 It's moments like that which will ultimately shape who my children will be as they get older.