Proud Moment

A friend recently said that my daughter acts just like me. She, in my eyes, is the epitomy of goodness and such a comment is more than a compliment. Today her goodness just about made my heart melt.

I drove the kids to school today just like every other day, but today unlike other days I was in no rush to go anywhere. So I sat in my car to go through some papers after my two little ones left to go onto the playground to await the morning bell. When I finally looked up before I decided to drive away, I saw my daughter and about 4-5 other girls standing over a sad looking girl sitting on the ground. I don't know if the girl fell or was pushed, but I could see my daughter's compassion for her all the way over there in my car. As the other girls stood over the fallen girl, my daughter leaned in to talk to her. I then saw her reach out and brush the dirt off of her legs as the other girls just walked away. I saw my daughter reach out a second time, this time offering her hand to assist the girl off of the ground. As you can probably imagine, my lip was quivering at about this time. My daughter did not end her help there. When the girl was up off the ground, my daughter picked up her backpack and assisted the her in putting it back on. She then walked and talked with the girl, forgoing her friends and the usual morning games.

I drove away feeling very proud, but with mixed feelings. I worried that some people would see the goodness in my daughter and hate her for it. I worried that they will try to hurt her as they have tried to do to me. At the same time, I know she is strong; I saw it when she chose to help instead of walking away as her friends did. I think she is gonna be ok.