Mission Sunday: Back-to-School Giving

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We were in Walmart the other day on our monthly get-cat-food trek.  Mr. Flame has certain requirements – not just a specific brand, but specific flavors of that brand – or he is a most unhappy and bothersome cat, and Walmart has the best consistent price and selection in our town.

If both our cat and our daughter have similar “pickiness” characteristics, does that reflect poorly on our parenting?

Back to Walmart.  Our local Walmart has been strategically been playing musical shelves for the past three or so years.  So we were meandering throughout the store, trying to find those specific flavors of specific brand of cat food.  And of course, we had to go by the strategically-placed back-to-school supply bins.

Little Miss Esmé grabbed a handful (her hands have grown rapidly in the past year or so, it seems) of those 24-pack boxes of Crayolas and snuck them into the cart.  Huh?  Yes, they were cheap, but we have several unopened boxes already, not to mention the jar of crayons we use for wax art etc. etc.  And when she does her “sneak-into-the-cart” trick, it usually involves something I don’t typically buy, like a zebra-sequined top hat or every pink shade of embroidery thread.

I asked her why, when she already has plenty of crayons.

“To give away!” she responded.

“To who?” I asked.

“To the children in Africa who don’t have any crayons,” was her answer.

So obviously Esmé’s reading has improved on the sly and she happened upon Amanda’s Pray for South Sudan post this week.  Amanda talks about stocking up on supplies for Operation Christmas Child’s shoeboxes all year long:  “I want [my kids] to think outside of their own spoiled American life as often as possible.”

Now if only I could get Flame the cat to realize how good he has it – maybe he’d start volunteering some of his Fancy Feast for starving cats?  If it would ever go on sale?

Seriously, parents – now is definitely the time to stock up on those school supplies for your shoeboxes. 

Thank you, Miss Esmé, for reminding me.