Our First Letter to Raveesha

Today we put together our first letter to Raveesha. I am so thankful that are sponsoring this little girl. She has been a reminder to me and to the girls of so much during this Christmas Season: our priority to serve others, our health, our abundance, our comforts, our excesses.

Yesterday, Vaughan's class had a storytime event at the local Barnes and Noble. Her teachers were there and some classmates. While she settled down to listen to some stories, I quickly ducked behind the aisles and attempted to get in some Christmas shopping. Last year, in the chaos of caring for a newborn, I absent-mindedly overshopped. Suddenly on Christmas Eve I found myself pulling after back of goodies I had purchased here and there. It was TOO MUCH.

This year, I vowed to be more mindful of my purchases. As a family we have instated the "Santa brings each child something to read, something to wear and something to play with" philosphy. And with that in mind, I searched the aisles for a book for each girl.

With my bag of books in one hand and Vaughan holding the other, I exited the store feeling a sense of accomplishment. That is until....it started....it began as a mild whine. "But I wanted to get a book." "Charlie got a book. Why don't I ever get anything?" I gently reminded Vaughan that not every trip to a store results in a purchase. The whining escalated and once buckled into the car it turned into tears. The drama people -- the next 30 minutes in the car were quite unpleasant.

I pulled out all of my tricks (which upon closer examination are quite limited):

1. Ignore and listen to the music



2. Reason - explain why we don't always get "things"



3. Introduce the concept of money - things cost money



4. Threaten - if the crying doesn't stop, Julie (your doll) will be taken away for the rest of the day

All the while, I was wondering how I could inpart the important message to my child here. Life isn't about things - it's about relationships. This season isn't about getting - it's about giving. I know, she's four and these are complex concepts but the poor me pity party was a serious downer and after 30 minutes of whining and crying I was fully frustrated.

We picked up Ellery from school and hustled home. I threw in some distractions and Vaughan eventually regained her composure. While the downward spiral into a complete meltdown was averted, I knew that was only part of my task. I was supposed to teach her something, right?

And here is where Raveesha comes in. After reading Raveesha's story to the girls, they asked a lot of questions. Questions about where she lives, how she lives, what her life is like. Part of her story explained that her diet consists mainly of rice. Vaughan has honed in on this and at nearly every meal she asks me what Raveesha is eating. She wondered why that was what she mostly ate and was saddened by the thought that Raveesha might not get a cake on her birthday. "Maybe she can have a rice cake?"

I am a firm believer in taking advantage of "moments" to teach our children. Every hour of everyday, in what can seem like an exhausting task, I find myself trying to teach my children. Sometimes the lesson is concrete like yesterday at the book store "Vaughan how much does that book cost? You always need to look at the price. See the number? 9.98. That means the book is 9 dollars and 98 cents." Other times the lesson is more abstract. I might have missed that lesson in the car while Vaughan was crying. You know, the abstract lesson about putting others first, about focusing on what is important, about how Christmas is not about what we get. But I think Raveesha is teaching her that one and so far she seems to be doing an excellent job.

Last night, the girls were in their beds and we were saying our prayers. Sweet Vaughan prayed for Raveesha. When we took turns saying what we were thankful for, Vaughan said she was thankful "for poor people." I knew what she meant and I smiled.