When we were pregnant with our second child, our daughter Ava couldn't wait to meet him. She is often times found around our house lovingly pushing her stroller around with her baby, Georgia. Georgia always has a bottle and a blanket, and Ava has Georgia "pretend cry" just so she can shush and comfort her back to peace.
Our daughter has been head over heels over her brother since he's arrived on the scene, and we have really been blessed to see her love him. With every smile and laugh that they share, the bond gets stronger. And yet, with every crawl that Owen takes near her toys, the territorial feelings grow even stronger.
Yes, I have a new hat to add to my list now: referee. I knew the day would come (oh, the dreaded day), and it has already begun to rear its ugly head. But even still, I see these moments as great teachable moments, not just about sharing and "who had it first," but about serving each other, putting others first regardless, and learning to open our grip on the "stuff" of this world.
While both of my kids will have many lessons about learning and sharing, the message goes much deeper than who had the toy first. It's about teaching your kids to serve others above themselves. Imagine if all our little people heard this message over and over. Wouldn't that have a significantly positive impact on our world?