Eden is teaching me things all the time. A lot of times she teaches me my weaknesses or my faults, but once in a while she teaches me a true character quality, a greatness. Lately, she's been teaching me how to share. It sounds silly, a two year old teaching their mom to share, but it's happening, right now.
Here's how it's been unfolding. Eden and I have a little mother-daughter activity that we love, it's making jewelry together. We sit at the table, covered in bead boxes, elastics, and string. Eden sits very content stringing beads from her own bead box onto shoe string like thread. It's really a time that I know we both treasure, not only for the cute material that it produces, but for the quality one on one time that is so rare and precious lately.
We make bracelets. I always ask her if she wants a necklace or even a ring, but she always wants a bracelet. It's fine. She sports them twenty at a time, it's always too much or nothing at all, and I love that style flair.
When Mike spends alone time with Eden, they go to the park. Our alone time activities just as of lately, clashes. Eden and Mike came home from the park and we all sat down to chat over a snack. Mike relayed that Eden had been so giving at the park and gave two little girls bracelets. My heart sank, and I couldn't hide it. The time that we had spend together, making these little bracelets, and the time and money I'd spend selecting the beads from the store--gone. Even now the memory, the material possession--gone. All of it--gone!
I scolded her and Mike, and watched their smiles fade. I felt bad, but what about our special time together, we didn't do that to give it all away to some no name kid.
Mike took me aside and gently nudged my attitude. He told me how he was a stingy kid and was so proud that Eden wasn't. He told me how he was elated that his little girl wanted to give away her little possessions. I saw what he meant, and I was proud of her too but so ashamed at myself.
Seriously, I scolded my daughter for sharing. What a role reversal. But I'm so glad. I'm glad my husband is a gentle teacher. I took Eden aside and told her I was proud of her, proud of her wanting to share.
A week later, Eden had a new favorite bracelet. One that we had just made a week prior and she pointed it out to everyone. It was her little conversation piece. We went to the pool as a family, and there was a little girl Eden's age there. She took off her new favorite bracelet, and gently placed it on the girls' wrist. I wanted to cry.
These are the moments as a mom that I live for. I'm proud, not because of anything I've done, but because I've seen character in my two year old. She's genuine, and she's teaching me to share.
