Two years ago, a few weeks after Dagny's birth, I specifically recall the girls waking up for the day at the exact same moment. Upon hearing the children stir over the baby monitors, I swiftly gathered up Dagny from her crib and entered Valerie's room.
Valerie's face fell the moment I opened her bedroom door. She screamed at me holding her sister, "Baby, back to bed! Baby, back to bed!" I think those were the first words she uttered toward her sister since bringing the newborn home from the hospital.
In the last two years, Ken and I have worked hard to create a bond between the two girls and to teach compassion toward other people. As any siblings, they have their battles and their bonding moments.
This morning at the breakfast table, I looked over from my position at the sink to see that Valerie had opened Dagny's juice box without anyone making such a request. Valerie not only opened her sister's juice box, but opened her sister's juice first. Valerie offered this help to her sister completely out of the blue without a single prompt from mother or sister. My heart swelled with pride at the thoughtful and considerate behavior my eldest daughter displayed.
Two years ago, dealing with a self-centered only child, the outlook for teaching compassion seemed bleak. For some reason, viewing this small demonstration of kindness today reminded me of how far we've come. Of course, we have a long journey ahead, but it was truly wonderful to mark the moment and see that Ken and my teachings of compassion are not being entirely ignored.
It's moments like these that make motherhood a rewarding experience!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment