A fellow blogger shared a story about her young daughter’s good deed to help a homeless man. This story reminded me of my son Andy, who on Monday will leave the world of teens to become a twenty something. Andy is a kind soul. His gentleness and caring nature are some of his greatest character traits.
When he was a little boy, we visited the local fire station for the annual Fire Safety Celebration. We were greeted by the area volunteer fire fighters who served cider and donuts while offering rides on the fire truck. After sampling all the fun, I noticed that Andy was having a deep conversation with his little sister, Maddy. They looked like they were negotiating a serious issue. I then watched Andy walk over to a fire fighter and hand him something. I asked him what he had done, his reply was a casual “We gave them our allowance”.
That morning they had each been given a quarter or maybe it was fifty cents, not a lot of money to most of us but for a single digit child, it was EVERYTHING. Andy had been so moved by the work these volunteers do, the food they shared, and the fun they provided that he wanted to give them a gift of thanks. I may have shared this story before but it is worth repeating because I never want to forget that day.
Flash forward to a few years ago, when Andy was a senior in high school. We were Christmas shopping and he was nearly done with his list and his cash supply. He had $12.00 remaining when we walked outside. A Salvation Army bell ringer was at his kettle and Andy walked over and gave him $5.00, not a single but nearly half of all he had remaining. When I asked him what made him give such a generous donation his reply was a casual “He was alone and it is cold outside”.
These are only two examples to help capture in words our son’s kind spirit.
Andy is currently a college sophomore. He is studying to become an elementary school teacher: a profession that is overworked, underpaid, and demands that he be invested in the sake of a child’s life. What a perfect place for him in this world.
Happy 20th Birthday Andy, you never fail to amaze me or make me laugh.
Assignment: If you know the boy, then send him warm wishes. If you don’t know him – thank a teacher for what they do to bring hope to children each and every day.
2 comments:
He's a sweet boy for sure!! (Seriously...20?) Ugh.
Hmm it appears like your blog ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I'll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I'm thoroughly enjoying
your blog. I too am an aspiring blog writer but I'm still new to everything. Do you have any tips for beginner blog writers? I'd certainly
appreciate it.
My blog post ; benefits of digestive enzymes
Post a Comment