The Sweetest Heart

From December 2017

The boys and I have been home since last week, and our time together, mostly huddled indoors where it's warm and cozy, has been saturated with sweet moments.

Sometimes it seems that all it takes to remind us that there is so much good and love and kindness in the world, is a child. Lucas was busily working on something in his room one afternoon while Justin and I were both off doing different things in the house. I was reading in my spot on the couch next to the lamp. Every so often, Lucas would bring me his green electrical tape and ask me to tear a piece off. The last time, he specifically asked for three pieces. After a while, he came bursting into the room with "presents for you and daddy!" 

For me, he had carefully and painstakingly wrapped a single jack from Brayden's game of jacks.

For Justin, he wrapped a small toy maze that had been in his collection of special things.

What a sweet, sweet heart.

Earlier this week, we were all cuddled up watching a nature series on PBS when it moved to commercials. We usually don't watch (too much nonsense! too many questions asked after!), but I was feeling lazy and so we watched them instead of pausing. Suddenly, there was an adorable wheel-chair bound little boy telling us about Shriners Children's Hospital, and it showed several different children with limbs missing and telling about the help they received.

Brayden needed this explained to him, so I told him how these kids are asking for donations to the hospital because it helped them so much, and their parents didn't have to worry about how they would pay.

"Doesn't that just make you want to send in a donation right this very moment?" I exclaimed.

Brayden nodded in agreement. "They can have all my money. I want to donate it all."

Another sweet heart.

And Cooper, over the past few weeks, has been day in and day out with a little brother who is slightly on the bossy side at times. Lucas is learning, like the rest of us, that the world is not his to command and that not all things work exactly for him and him alone. He's learning, but it's a process.

And Cooper is so patient with him. He'll answer the same question a dozen times, in that soft, gentle voice that is trying not to sound too big-brother-y. And when Lucas is upset and losing his cool over something that he really doesn't need to be upset about, Cooper doesn't scream or yell...he just patiently explains it all to him.

And yet another heart that is so, so sweet.