Proud

You can see the full photo shoot HERE (Hopefully the link works this time!)

One of the reasons people have blogs is so they have a platform from which to brag about their families. It's the truth, even if we don't want to admit it. I do it all the time, and at least this time I'm warning you in advance so you can stop reading now if you don't want to hear it. =)

So here goes:

As you may have heard, or inferred, most of Pauls battalion is coming home very soon. He will be coming home at the normal time a few months from now. I was explaining that to the girls yesterday because we were going to a volunteer meeting where we'd be discussing the upcoming returns. We talked about how their dad's job isn't finished yet, but most of the other guys jobs are all done.

One of the other battery co's has a little girl Carly's age and they are the sweetest friends. Carly asked me if Kristlyn's dad was coming home early and when I said yes, Carly started crying. I just hugged her and said it was okay to be sad, then she backed up and explained to me that she wasn't crying because she was sad; she was crying "tears of joy" for her friend.

When Carly reads like a fifth grader, or hangs up her clothes the right way, or sets the table the right way, or cleans baseboards like a professional, I'm mostly bragging on myself (if we're being honest!). Those are all learned behaviors, drilled into her head by constant and annoying repetition. But stuff like this? That kind of empathy and selflessness...you can't teach that. I'm proud of her, here. The only thing I've done is manage, by some miracle, to not screw it up.