the most important lesson is empathy

I have been growing my hair long and cutting 10-12 inches off to donate to Locks of Love for several years now. I was thrilled when my oldest daughter, Shae, stated she wanted to "share her hair too!" Obviously, she didn't have 10-12 inches (10 in is the minimum amount needed to create a hair prosthetic) to cut off, but Locks of Love will take any amount and sell it for funds to continue their organization. She willingly let me chop off a sizable ponytail and then wanted to know who was going to get to "wear her hair." We looked at the Locks of Love website (http://www.locksoflove.org/index.html) and I read to her their mission statement:

Our mission is to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive hair prostheses free of charge or on a sliding scale, based on financial need.

She started asking questions about other kids that are dealing with illness, and we talked about visiting them in the hospital and doing nice things for them to bring them joy and a little sunshine into their days. She was genuinely concerned for these kids, and it was a blessing to us both to spend a moment feeling grateful for our health and for having one another around all the time.

Here's another childrens' charitable organization that we are involved in....http://www.penniesforpeace.org/ This organization came about when one man saw that the best "war on terror" is to build schools and empower the youth of Pakistan and Afghanistan with an education. It has taught my 4 year old the hardships that children in these countries face, such as poverty, war, and illiteracy. She is learning amazing lessons of empathy and compassion from our involvement with this organization!!!

I encourage you to teach your kids about charity and the reality of human suffering as early as possible. It's amazing how early children are able to understand and feel empathy for their peers.

"As mothers we are helping our children write their story. I hope to help them write one that includes love, compassion, and empathy for the world around them."