What is Going on Around Here?!

In amongst the chaos, the PB & J making and the laundry doing, we try to teach the boys some life lessons. We try to impart to them that they are NOT the center of the universe and that there are in fact other people out there that may need help or our attention.

It is becoming more and more apparent that we may not be done teaching this.

When we were on Madeline Island biking this summer it began raining. Actually, it had never really stopped raining. It was sort of continuous drizzle. We were biking back the six miles to town after our time at the beach, and Deacon was on his "double back bike" behind me. He talks continuously back there and this time was no exception. He was being a trooper about the rain, and everything, but I guess he finally had enough and called out, "I am cold, I am hungry. WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND HERE?"

And I smiled and then I thought about it more. He is not used to being uncomfortable. He is not used to being hungry. If he is hungry or cold or hot or sweaty and not being promptly attended to; that means that something is wrong, something is off, something is the matter. Being comfortable is his normal.

How do you teach them that being well fed and at a good body temperature is not everyone's normal? And that there are lots of children around the world that would instead say, "I am warm, my tummy is full. What is going on around here?!"

So we do Meals on Wheels, we participate in Operation Christmas Child and other Christmas gift giving opprotunities. But how much will that really teach them?

This week we have our 2 Meals on Wheels driving days. The kids like to do it, and take turns carrying the meal. We talk about how the people we bring the meals to can't make their own food. We talk about how we bring them food first and then we will go eat our own lunch.

But this week we have a tough route. It is long and spread out and kind of time consuming. The boys were getting hungry and once again I heard from the back, "I am so hungry! What is going on around here anyway?" So we reiterated again that these people are hungry too and are depending on us to bring them their lunch. I guess I will just keep telling them until they finally get it...and then I will let them remind me...