Lessons from my granddaughter Alexis (Lexi)

One of the joys of being a grandparent is that you can dote on your grandchildren all you want. Sometimes, you even try to teach them. But the greatest joy one receives is when they unknowingly teach you a lesson that sinks deep into the core of your being.

One of my daily joys is to have two of my grandchildren come every school day for breakfast. Jakson and Lexi are dropped off by their parents around 7:20 on school days. I have the pleasure of fixing them breakfast on those days. I try to fix something nutritious and appealing every morning.

This experience has taught me how hard it is to plan meals every day, with variety and nutrition in mind. I now realize why my wife would get frustrated when she would ask, " What would you like for dinner (or breakfast or lunch)?" I would always cop out the answer, “Whatever you want.”

What she was saying, without really admitting it, was, “I am out of ideas, tell me something so that I don’t have to think of what to fix.”

As I was preparing dinner for Mary, last night, I hit one of those roadblocks. I had run out of ideas and I just wanted something simple. My solution was to go to Costco and buy one of their precooked pizzas. I love their combo.

I called Mary and asked if she wanted to go with me to Costco when she got off work. She said she would come home and pick me up; but, by the time she got home it was late and she was tired, so I suggested we cook some of the frozen pizzas we had in the freezer.

It seemed like a cop out, but it worked out fine. We had a nice dinner of pizza and mixed vegetables. I wasn’t too Italian, but it tasted fine.

I learned a good lesson yesterday, you don’t have to go out for a meal when you have one waiting in the freezer. That lesson paled compared to the lesson I learned from Lexi this morning!

This morning, I fixed a ham, cheese and spinach frittata, hash brown patties, along with cranberry juice, toast, and a raspberry fruit snack. I thought It was quite nutritious and easy to fix. Lexi commented that the frittata was one of her favorite breakfasts. She is so cute, she always compliments my breakfasts, no matter what I cook.

Jakson, in the other hand, is a picky eater. Usually he will have a couple of pop tarts or cereal for breakfast. Today, was no different, he had cereal and some ham pieces, but unlike most days, when he eats a couple of bowls of cereal, today, he just picked at the food. He said he was not feeling well.

I commented on how little he had eaten, and I could see he was not feeling well. He felt bad! He was almost to the point of crying, he felt so bad.

Lexi notice that too. That is when my lesson began!

You see, Lexi is older than Jakson by three years, and when she noticed that he was not feeling well and that he looked sad, her charitable and compassionate self kicked in. In an instant, her role changed. Right before my eyes, she became an older sister instead of a granddaughter.

Granddaughters can be pampered and doted on and spoiled, but older sisters become the doters, the coddlers and the caregivers. I know, because I have an older sister, Chacha. As much as we, her three younger brothers, tormented her when we were growing up, Chacha was a care giver, a doter and compassionate when we were hurt or sick. She still is!

Lexi’s role changed this morning. I saw her become a compassionate, charitable older sister trying to cheer up her ailing younger brother. She tried jokes to lift up his spirits, she tried feeding him and tried comforting words. “You will be alright,” she said trying more to convince herself than to convince him. It was beautiful to see the transformation!

I saw her transformed, right before my eyes, from a young 11 year-old girl to a mature caring person, being charitable with her brother.

The Book of Mormon gives a great definition of what charity is. We read:
(Moroni 7:45 - 47)
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

(These verses, are very much like what Paul taught the saints in Corinth. See 1 Corinthians 13)

I learned the meaning of charity as I watched Lexi trying to comfort her brother this morning. She was kind, was not puffed up, she sought not her own, believed and hoped that her brother would be well. I saw the pure love of Christ in a young 11 year-old as she showed concern and compassion for her younger brother.

Jakson will be fine. He was just a little sick..

What did I learn this morning? I learned the what it means to be a true brother/sister. I learned by example what it means to have compassion and charity.

Yes, I love to have the grand kids over because I can spoil them, but more than that, because of the lessons they teach me.