The note

Let me start with two things: 1. The gun in this picture was not loaded! and 2. The batteries in our camera are dead so this is the most recent picture of Anlynn. Isn't she cute?!

Okay, now that I have that all cleared up, onto the heart of this post. :)

Yesterday when I picked Anlynn up from preschool, her teacher said she had a note for me. My heart got a little uneasy. I could see the note in her hand: full sheet, front and back! This was not our first note. The last one informed me that Anlynn had refused snack and might be hungrier than normal. So you just never know with these notes! From what I could see from a quick glance were words like "difficulties staying on task". Uh-oh. I wanted to snatch if from her hand and read it right there, but I restrained myself. I waited till we got in the van. I read the note. Then I sat there, speachless. I drove home but could say nothing. Would you mind if I just copied it here for you? I've tried to come up with a way to tell you about it, but this seems best.

Dusty and Lige, I would like to commend you on what a wonderful daughter you are raising. (okay, let me stop there for a minute. One thing I realized as I finished this note was that Lige and I can not take credit....but I'll get to that later. We continue.) She sees everyone as equals. There is one child in the class who is developmentally delayed both socially and academically. The other kids yell at her or avoid her while Anlynn walks over and offers to help her without being asked. She stops her work to help her friend finish even if it means Anlynn is the last to finish. And after helping her friend she does not say anything unless I ask. Today for example she saw someone getting frustrated with the girl who has difficulties staying on task and she asked if she could trade seats so she could sit by this girl and help her! You should be very proud of her! Miss Cindi

Excuse me for a moment while I collect myself....

I'm a little speachless even now. I asked Anlynn if she'd been helping a friend. She happily said oh yes, but then she mentioned a boy in the class. I told her about the note Miss Cindi had sent home and what it said. Anlynn asked who the girl was. Loving this girl came to her so naturally, she didn't even know who her teacher was talking about.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 "Two are better than one...if one falls down his friend can help him up."

Lige and I can't take responsibility for this. Sure we do our best as parents, but how do you teach helpfulness, compassion or putting other's needs ahead of your own? How does a four year old learn that all people have value and we should treat them that way? These are qualities every parent longs to somehow instill into their children, but I doubt if any of us have a concrete plan to accomplish it. No, Lige and I are not to be commended. We pass this praise onto our amazing God, who in His wisdom chose to work in the heart of a little four year old girl. Oh, that we all could love so naturally that we wouldn't even know there was something notable about it. And that the Lord would be praised because of it.