Some Just Naturally Give

I was on the phone to my sister, Laurie. We had nearly 2 hours of catching up to do. While we were chatting, my nephew was busy evesdropping. Every few minutes he'd interject into our conversation until finally my sister asked, "will you just talk to Paul?"

Paul got on the phone. I inquired about school and asked how he enjoyed the cruise with his broken arm. After a few minutes, my sister got back on the phone. Paul went back to talking in the background.

"Hey mom! Has Aunt Joanne ever gone on a cruise?"
"No, Paul. She hasn't."
"Mom, we should take her on a cruise. Don't you think Aunt Joanne would like to go on a cruise?"

I hear my sister laugh.

"Yes, Paul. If we bought Aunt Joanne a ticket to go on a cruise, I'm sure she would absolutely love it. Now can you please go to bed so I can talk to my sister?"

I laughed too. My nephew has a heart of gold.

When Paul was 2, I stayed at my sister's home so I could meet his new baby brother. Laurie had some serious magnetic locks on everything in her house. Paul was a little houdini. The first day there, my sister was busy with the baby, and Paul wanted a drink. I filled his sippy cup with juice. He grinned and said, "Tank you."

Later in the day, after his dad came home, we were visiting in the living room. I watched Paul wander into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he appeared in the doorway. His chubby little hands were wrapped tightly around a glass of water. Somehow he had managed to climb up onto the counter, get a glass from the cupboard, and fill it halfway with water. He toddled in my direction, sloshing a bit of water with each step. I jumped out of the chair, to rescue both the glass and save him from completely soaking his shirt. He looked very pleased with himself as I took the cup.

His dad scolded him for climbing on the counter. But I looked beyond his disobedience. I saw a little boy with a generous spirit. This tall-for-his age two year old stood as a gentle giant: kind, thoughtful, & selfless. He was returning my earlier favor by offering me a refreshing drink.

Before going to bed, he needed a pull-up. Laurie was again busy with the baby, so Paul helped me find the diapers. I got a big hug before he went to bed. Early the next morning, I heard little footsteps upstairs. In hopes that I could be helpful to my sister, I hopped in the shower, so I'd be ready for the day. Within a few minutes, I heard tapping on the door. I poked my head out of the shower, "who is it?" No answer. I finished as fast as I could, knowing Paul must be waiting on the other side of the door.

Knock, knock, knock...I turned the shower off and quickly grabbed a towel. The tapping continued and then I heard a little voice, "open de door." I could tell his lips were pressed against the crack on the ground, where the floor and the door didn't quite meet. "Open de door, Aunt Doanne, open de door." His voice was urgent. Not quite dry, I pulled my clothes on and opened the door.

There stood Paul with his arms raised.

"Here you go." To my amazement, Paul held his gift up for me. Clutched in his hands was a pair underwear. My big girl panties that he must have found after foraying through my suitcase.

"Why thank-you Paul!" If I'd known of his generous offering, I wouldn't have bothered to dress so quickly. I could have opened the door wearing a towel and accepted his gift more readily. I hoped I didn't disappoint him since I was already dressed. I would never want to discourage this big-hearted boy.

I really should let Paul take me on that cruise. Afterall, it would encourage his kindness and give him great satisfaction.