The Best Gift 2008

Last week, Kate was given a slinky at her class gift exchange.  She was careful to keep it up because she has seen the usual fate of slinkys--a tangled mess of coils. 

On Monday, she left it on the floor and Weston found it.  I watched him as he did the normal slinky stuff with it and thought it was harmless enough.  A few minutes later I discovered him with a tangled mess of coils. 

Weston's first thought was to hide the ruined slinky under the chair, but I told him to think again.

"That's not honest" I tried to teach him.  " The best thing to do is to go tell Katie that you are sorry that you ruined her slinky." 

So he did and ended up with a shove from his big sister.

Then, on Christmas morning, Weston unwrapped a present from his stocking.  It was a brand new slinky.  With all the commotion from opening stocking stuffers, I hardly noticed that he had opened it.  I didn't see him get up from his gifts and cross over to where Kate was sitting.  But, he finally caught my attention as he stood beside his big sister and stretched out his hands, holding his new slinky.

Katie, a little absorbed in her own stocking presents, commented,  "Wow, Weston, you got a slinky."

He pressed his gift-giving hands in her direction once again, this time he said softly, "You keep it."

Kate realized that her little brother was trying to right a wrong.  She took the slinky from him and then she hugged him tightly.  He hugged her back and they stayed like that for a few moments. 

That was the best gift this year.