In a couple of weeks, I'm taking a trip to Portland with two girls from my church. We're going to Revolve Tour, which is an all teen girls event, a sort of little sister event to the Women of Faith. I took two girls last year, as well, and they had an amazing experience. So, this year one of the same girls is going, plus her younger sister.
The girls are in 6th and 8th grades, and they are honestly two of my favorite people at our church. They have another sister, in 4th or 5th grade, and they all live with their dad, who has sole custody of them. For the past three years that I've been attending the Spanish Nazarene church in Nampa, these girls and I have become quite close, and two of them were even able to make the trip over to attend our wedding. The only thing that held the other one back was that she was on crutches at the time.
So, we're doing fundraising for this Revolve Tour trip so their dad doesn't have to pay the whole $200 plus for each one. I announced to our congregation that these girls were up for hire to do work at their houses. We've now raked more leaves than I believe either of those girls had ever seen before. It's good for them, though. At the risk of sounding old-fogey... so many kids these days just don't know what hard work is. Or what honest work is. These girls are really good kids and their dad has done a good job with them, but it's been interesting for me to watch them these past three days as one of them tries to get the other to do her work, as they work almost against each other instead of with each other at times, and as they look to me to give them guidance. I'm trying, but I don't understand some of the things that kids need.
I'm also learing how to do fundraisers right. Even though the girls are young, I know that I need to loosen the strings a little and let them learn. For these couple of jobs we've done so far, I've stayed with them instead of dropping them off and letting them do it on their own. My justification is that I think they (and the person they're working for) need someone there because the girls are so young and they're sisters and they sometimes seem to bicker more than they work.
But I'm learning.
Hopefully so are they.
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2 comments:
How great for the girls! I agree that many such chores are no longer part of our children's day to day lives! -S
It sounds to me like you are doing a good job. It says a lot that they traveled to your wedding! Anyway, I have always gotten along fairly well with young people (I think), as do you. And one of the things that it seems to me that they need is a demonstration of mutual respect. You expect them to respect you, sure, and each other. But I think the clincher is respecting them, by showing interest in what they think and do, etc. And sometimes, it's like so many relationships - it's all about listening. Well, anyway, that's my word of wisdom for the day. So I guess that's enough said.
Mom
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