The Gift of Giving

By Charlotte Phillips

We recently celebrated our 7-year-old son’s birthday. His older sister wanted to use her own money to buy him a gift, so per her request, we walked down to the gas station to pick out some of his favorite candy. She settled on a bag of M&Ms and a king-size Reese’s.

Along with his other gifts, he was thrilled to open his gift of candy from his sister. My Mama heart was full watching our daughter take delight in his excitement.

The next day, when he opened his Reese’s, our son was so excited to see four Reese’s cups. At first, I thought the excitement was to have four to eat, but that was not the reason. He was happy there were four because that meant there was enough for him to share with all of his siblings.

At that moment, my Mama heart turned into a giant puddle of gratitude for our children. While our children normally share special treats like candy, it is understood that this rule does not have to apply for birthday gifts. But our sweet boy didn’t think twice about sharing his candy with his sister and brothers, he happily shared it with them on his own.

How do you children surprise you with their willingness to share with others?