December 15

It was cold and rainy tonight, but we braved the weather and went to Costco. While we were there, I witnessed a heart-tugging moment between my own kids.

As we shopped, we came upon an employee handing out samples of freshly baked brownies. Abby approached the table and got the last one available. From his perch in the cart, Brady asked if he could have one as an equally eager Isaac looked on, but the employee apologized and explained that they were all gone. Before the disappointment could register on either of the boys' faces, Abby did something surprising: without even flinching, she marched over to Brady and gave him half of her brownie. Then, in a move that truly astounded me, she turned to Isaac and handed him the other half, keeping nothing for herself save the empty wrapper.

I was stunned speechless for a moment. When I finally found the words, I asked why she hadn't split it into thirds, and she just shrugged, turned the wrapper inside out, and noted that there were some bits of brownie stuck to the bottom. But the brass tacks? She knew her brothers wanted the treat more than she did. So she gave it away.

Abby is a nice girl, but she's not always up for making personal sacrifices, especially when we're dealing with the Little Boys. I'm so proud of her for looking outside of herself, disregarding her own interests, and putting Isaac and Brady first. It's a blessing both to see her choose into doing the hard thing, and to be reminded of how important it is for all of us to inconvenience ourselves sometimes in order to do things for others.