Out of the mouths of babes

I just stepped on one of Austin's Matchbox cars  with my bare foot.It's a common occurrence  around here and it usually makes we want to say something that I shouldn't say. But today it reminded me of one of those "gems" that Austin came up with a couple of years ago. I just have to share it with you.

Three years ago when Austin was four years old, we were on our way to take him to day care when I remembered that he had to take a $5.00 gift for a boy to the Christmas gift exchange that day. I decided to run into Kroger, figuring I could find something in that price range in their little toy aisle. We found a card of five Matchbox cars for $5.00 and quickly snatched it up along with a little gift bag to put them in. When we got back to the car I buckled him into the back seat and put the cars and bag in the front seat beside me. Before we even got out of the parking lot Austin asked to look at the cars again. I handed him the cars and told him not to open them. He promised that he wouldn't. "I just want to look at them while we drive, Mommy." A couple of miles down the road and I hear this sweet, winsome little voice saying, to no one in particular, "These sure are cools cars. I really love this red car. I sure wish I had cars just like these. These are the neatest cars I've ever seen."  This little dialog went on for about three minutes. I said nothing for a while. Now mind you, he wasn't coming right out and asking me  if he could keep the cars for himself, he was using the subliminal method! Finally, when my heart strings had been tugged on sufficiently, I said to him, "Austin, it's a lot more fun to give a gift than it is to get a gift." He immediately said that he didn't think so and asked me why I thought so. "When you give someone a gift, it makes your heart warm. It makes you feel good to know that you've done something for someone  else. It just makes your heart grow. It's good for your heart to give rather than get." He thought for a minute, saying nothing. Just when I thought that I must have convinced him of this wisdom I hear the sweetest little voice I've ever heard say, "Mommy, I think my heart will be OK if I keep them".

Post script:  Soft touch that I am, I bet your thinking that I let him keep them . Wrong!!  But guess what was in his Christmas stocking that year.