Lessons Learned...from Hannah

I think I may add a new category to my blog..

Lessons Learned

It may or may not be successful. This may be the only post. Life moves so quickly I hardly can keep up anymore. My blog reflects that.

But today, today I will write about lessons learned.

Those lessons come from my children.

Yesterday, I threw the housework list out the window. Instead, I gathered the kids and we took a walk. It was a great day.

Hannah rode her bike. Kate, of course, had dibs on the stroller. And Grant, well, he had to walk. We are no longer the owners of the double stroller much to Grant's dismay. And a bit to my own. I want Grant to walk but walking may be an under statement. Grant moseys. He'll attest to it. It makes for some frustrating moments.

So, there we were, Hannah riding ahead on her bike (what she always wants to do now when we go for a walk), Kate attempting to ride the stroller while standing (she will most definitely be the dare devil of the three), and me standing still while waiting for Grant to catch up.

But, he found a pep in his step when we came up to a trail. He always wants to go up this STEEP trail. My first response, no. No, because Hannah had her bike. No because I had the stroller. No because my shoes were not trail worthy. And no because I knew they had no clue just how steep this trail was. I didn't want to do it.

Then, came a voice of compassion and consideration.

From Hannah.

"We can go up the trail. I don't mind pushing my bike. Grant wants to go up it."

I was pleased. Pleased to hear Hannah think for Grant. Pleased that she was willing to get off of her bike and push it up a steep hill. For Grant.

I was convicted. Convicted that I myself wasn't willing to sacrifice a bit to let Grant go up this trail, a trail he ALWAYS asks to go up when we pass it. And a trail I always deny him.

This time, Hannah's compassion softened my heart.

As we treked up the hill I'm sure we were a sight to see. Me, jerking the stroller back and forth over every lose piece of bark and uncovered tree root. Hannah, all 32 lbs of her, pushing a princess bike that likely weighs more than she does, over uneven terrain and Grant, grinning from ear to ear while moseying along his longawaited trail.

And in the middle of the stop and go jerks
kindness exuded Hannah's mouth toward Grant.I wish I could remember all she said. Sweetness. It was sweetness. Not once did she complain as her bike got stuck time and again. Or when Grant's attempts at helping proved less than adequate.

She was genuninely pleased to allow Grant to walk on his trail.

Hannah taught me a bit about sacrifice and the joy that comes with it. When I was tempted to have a complaining spirit,she exuded the opposite. She showed me patience as she pushed that bike up the difficult hill while not once letting an unkind word leave her mouth. And she showed me love. Love for someone other than herself. A love that cost her a bike ride she wanted to take all day. Then I'm reminded how love and sacrifice often go hand in hand.

And my Hannah reminded me of that yesterday while pushing a bike up a trail. It's a lesson worthy of being reminded of again and again.

Lesson Learned.