Thursday, October 1, 2009

Examples...and Crêpes Citron

I just have to say that I have the best kids ever!
Ever!
Do you know what they did tonight?
They were thoughtful,
kind
and great hosts...
I was SO impressed with them tonight!

Let me tell you about it:
Our friends from Ireland, Zélie, and her two kids, Aaron and Inés, who recently moved to Paris, came for their first visit to our house this evening. We had just finished a walk around the neighborhood and showing them around, when it was getting dark and it was time to wrap up the evening.

As we entered the kitchen for a brief sit down before they left, Joshua and Sasha, who had made crêpes for breakfast this morning and had leftovers, offered to cook some up! Who would turn down homemade crêpes by Joshua and Sasha? So Sasha turned on the stove, cooked up the crêpe itself and Joshua dressed the crêpe with a very old family favorite:

le crêpe citron - butter, sugar and lemon.

I watched them as they organized themselves,
as they served Zélie and her kids,
making sure it was just they way she wanted it,

and I was just so impressed,
and so proud.

Maybe I'm being
presumptious, but...

It warmed my heart tremendously
to think that they really are watching us,
and they really are learning
...even when we're not paying attention.

Oh, the pressure.
Not really.

Just a reminder.
To be aware...

that while they learn about the world

from the perspective of their

own individual and

unique selves

our impact
as parents
is tremendous.

and we do them a disservice
to underestimate this.

I have long believed that
we are the lense through which our children learn to see the world.

Raising a child
is such a gift.

Raising a child
to become a wonderful human being

is an honor
beyond belief.

I love my children.