It's who she is...

As a parent, there are many traits we try to impress upon our children but some are just God given gifts they have. Compassion and seeing others needs above her own are Brooke's. She's still a six year old who is an oldest child would prefer to organize the world (and her brothers) to run the way she sees fit, but the past couple days have opened such a window for me into her heart. We've been fighting illness for over a month in our house. This weekend was particularly rough with a LOT of laundry, Tylenol, antibiotics and carpet cleaning.

Brooke has just done whatever she could to be helpful:

• Friday morning she was late coming down for breakfast so I went up to see what she was up to. Clayton had forgotten to make his bed, so she was taking care of that for him so that I wouldn't have to do it later.
• Sunday after church, I found Brooke in my closet and when I asked what she was doing she says, "Mom, I noticed that your shoes weren't very well organized, so I thought I'd help you and take care of that."
• Sunday night we downloaded the music for Annie (the broadway version) because she wanted to learn the music before she goes with Grandma Denyse and Grandpa Mark to see it over Spring Break at the Fireside. After she found out we could put it on a CD to listen to in her room, she wanted to call Grandma Denyse and see if she needed a copy too.
• All of those things were fabulous to see, but today I got a phone call that brought me to tears (not easily done.) Her teacher, Mrs. Stein, called to say that she was running a low-grade fever, not high enough that the office would send her home automatically, but she really didn't look well at all. Mrs. Stein asked Brooke if she wanted her to call home so that I could come and pick her up. Brooke told her teacher that she thought she'd be okay to ride the bus home BECAUSE "my brothers are really sick and if my mom has to come and get me then she'll have to wake them up because it's their naptime right now - I can make it through the rest of the day and ride the bus home."

Thank you Jesus for giving her such a compassionate heart -

may she serve you well with this gift.