“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” -Charles Dickens
Children help the heart in many ways. They fill a l0nely heart, touch a hurting heart and love an empty heart in ways that big people are not very good at doing. Humor is one of the most enjoyable traits of a child’s language. Maddi asked me matter-of-factually about her energetic brother, “What happened to Jordan? Who put a nickel in him?”
We volunteered last night at a local food shelf project through Doing Good Together. This wonderful organization works to build strong families, caring kids and a better world. They have an inspiring philosophy, “Whether you have five minutes or five hours to give, whether you have an infant or a teen, whether you are doing well or working hard to get by–your family has a contribution to make. And in the process, you’ll be teaching your children that giving back is a natural part of growing up.”
I want to teach my kids to take all their “nickels” of energy (as Maddi might say) and put that liveliness into something that makes a difference. I want my kids to grow up with hearts that never harden, tempers that never tire, a touch that never hurts and a love that fills them full.
