Big Hearted Friday #4 -- More Than a Car Wash
The other day, I had an experience with my daughter was unexpected but very special. I was spending a Saturday morning cleaning my car. My daughter, Little Diva, wanted to help. What seemed to just be a fun exercise in bubbles and water became a lesson in caring for what we have and respecting the blessings we have.We had splished and splashed as we washed the outside of the car. It was sunny but the morning was surprisingly cool so we had not rushed through the job. Little Diva was her normal chatter-box self and we had gone round the world once or twice with various subjects. As we turned to the inside of the car, however, her tone turned more serious. The following conversation ensued.Little Diva: "Mommy, why do we wash the car?"Me: "Because it's important to take care of our things."LD: "Why?"Me: "Well, I guess for two reasons. One is that the more we take care of things, the longer they last and the longer they last, the less they need replacing which is good for the Earth and saves us money."LD: "And?"Me: "And, secondly I guess I believe that when we care for our things and respect them, we are appreciating that we are blessed. It's a way of saying thank you."LD: "How is it saying thank you?"Me: "Well, so many in this world don't have what we have and when we care for what we have it's respecting our great gifts."LD: "Gifts? Like from God?"Me: "Yes, baby. From God."LD: "So, it's like we're praying?"Me: "Yes. I never thought of it like that... but yes, I guess it's like we're praying."After that, she continued helping me in silence. I'm not sure who did more thinking then, she or I, but both of us walked out of the car different.This may not be the most traditional of Big Hearted Families projects but it certainly reflected what I have hoped we would gain from the project. We have not been the best BHF family but this encounter has inspired me to try harder as obviously her little heart is very BIG indeed.
For inspiration on how to create hearts of giving and understanding in our children, check out Big Hearted Families. They offer projects of multiple sizes and costs to create a fun atmosphere to teach the values of volunteerism, charity, and caring for the Earth.