So, I was totally a kid once.
A normal, happy kid that liked making money.
Nickels and dimes. An occasional quarter. Nothing big.
I remember the days when my cousin and I would make paper jewelery and try to sell it from my driveway. I once tried to sell a rock to a neighbor... she gave me a red Popsicle instead. And of course, the normal kid pastime, lemonade stands. Which if people were feeling generous - you could sometimes get a dollar from them.
I thought I saw one today, a cute lemonade stand run by kids wanting to make money.
I was out walking with the girlies, pushing the stroller, talking to my mom on the phone.
I approached the lemonade stand thinking "oh man, I don't have any money on me." Which I felt bad about because I would have totally bought a refreshing lemony beverage from them!
Then I noticed the lack of lemonade on the table.
Then my mind flashed back to this time when I was in college and I was jogging and stopped by another stand where these little kids were selling flies in baby food jars. Yes, I bought one because I had always felt a little jaded by the neighbor who gave me a Popsicle instead of a few pennies. I set the fly free and threw the jar in the garbage, but they got a quarter out of it and I didn't have to live with the guilt of disappointing a future business leader of America.
But it wasn't bugs in jars either. I approached this non-lemonade, non-bug stand and all the kids gathered around me. A little intimidating, I'll admit.
The kids said "are you willing to help kids with cancer?"
Well shoot, if I say no that's just rude right? I said "Yes, of course... what do you need?"
(Fully expecting them to say money, which as I mentioned, I didn't have, hence my hesitation in answering their question)
Then, get this. They said "Oh, we don't need anything, we just want you to help the kids with cancer."
They then proceeded to pull a sheet of paper from a notebook with the words:
"help kids with cancer"
on it. And that was it.
How stinkin' cute is that?
Is this a new thing? Are kids really so much more kind and selfless than I ever was?
I don't think I ever thought about kids with cancer as a 6 year old. Let alone sacrificed an afternoon to sit out and help grown-ups be more conscientious about it. They didn't want my money. They sincerely wanted me to help kids with cancer.
So, keeping my promise, I hung the notebook paper on my "to-do" clipboard and we prayed for all the kids with cancer in our family prayer tonight.
It felt so good, I think I'll pray for it again tomorrow.
A normal, happy kid that liked making money.
Nickels and dimes. An occasional quarter. Nothing big.
I remember the days when my cousin and I would make paper jewelery and try to sell it from my driveway. I once tried to sell a rock to a neighbor... she gave me a red Popsicle instead. And of course, the normal kid pastime, lemonade stands. Which if people were feeling generous - you could sometimes get a dollar from them.
I thought I saw one today, a cute lemonade stand run by kids wanting to make money.
I was out walking with the girlies, pushing the stroller, talking to my mom on the phone.
I approached the lemonade stand thinking "oh man, I don't have any money on me." Which I felt bad about because I would have totally bought a refreshing lemony beverage from them!
Then I noticed the lack of lemonade on the table.
Then my mind flashed back to this time when I was in college and I was jogging and stopped by another stand where these little kids were selling flies in baby food jars. Yes, I bought one because I had always felt a little jaded by the neighbor who gave me a Popsicle instead of a few pennies. I set the fly free and threw the jar in the garbage, but they got a quarter out of it and I didn't have to live with the guilt of disappointing a future business leader of America.
But it wasn't bugs in jars either. I approached this non-lemonade, non-bug stand and all the kids gathered around me. A little intimidating, I'll admit.
The kids said "are you willing to help kids with cancer?"
Well shoot, if I say no that's just rude right? I said "Yes, of course... what do you need?"
(Fully expecting them to say money, which as I mentioned, I didn't have, hence my hesitation in answering their question)
Then, get this. They said "Oh, we don't need anything, we just want you to help the kids with cancer."
They then proceeded to pull a sheet of paper from a notebook with the words:
"help kids with cancer"
on it. And that was it.
How stinkin' cute is that?
Is this a new thing? Are kids really so much more kind and selfless than I ever was?
I don't think I ever thought about kids with cancer as a 6 year old. Let alone sacrificed an afternoon to sit out and help grown-ups be more conscientious about it. They didn't want my money. They sincerely wanted me to help kids with cancer.
So, keeping my promise, I hung the notebook paper on my "to-do" clipboard and we prayed for all the kids with cancer in our family prayer tonight.
It felt so good, I think I'll pray for it again tomorrow.
8 comments:
How sweet is that? Wow. Little kids are amazing
I'll admit when you showed me the house, and then told me to read a story on your blog I was thinking it'd be a little bit of a different story. I don't know, maybe i just "expect" weird things to happen because I'm in Pittsburgh. But that truly is Precious. :)
That's sweet. It's cancer awareness month and if you eat at Chili's on the 27th they will donate all profits to St. Jude's research hospital or they will donate $1 for every new e-club member in Sept. They email you coupons for free stuff. I know this because a good friend of mine posted it on her blog. Her daughter passed away with cancer at the age of 5.
Isn't it funny the lessons we learn from kids! Love this story and glad you shared!
Dear Hayley Jo-
Here is Brittney Durfee's synopsis of your blog. . .and story.
Your girls are adorable; your picture taking skills are incredible; your hair is dark (yes I know that one is obvious, but I had to mention it) and beautiful; your family is charming, your writing is clever; and YOU are just as good, cute, thoughtful, and fun as ever!
Congrats on your newest addition! She is gorgeous!
Love, Brittney Lee
Haha, so I posted my comment and realized that there were errors, and it bugged me, so I deleted it. And then, it happened again. . . . Therefore, I have officially left you four comments on your post!!! Ta daa! (It was just to show you how much I love you!)
Post a Comment