My 4 year old was saving the pennies he was finding around the house and was very excited because he thought he had enough to buy something from the ice-cream truck. When he showed me his stash I realized he only had 3 pennies. I said "I'm sorry that's not enough to buy anything". He looked so defeated and I reached out and gave him a hug and a kiss and said "but this hug is free" he smiled a big smile and ran out yelling to his brother "we can't get ice-cream but moms giving out free hugs!". Then his brother came and got a hug too! Ha ha! I later saw them together and they were counting something. I asked them what they were doing and they told me they were putting their money together to buy a popsicle to share. I said "do you have enough?" and the older one said "yeah I think so, but if not maybe we can offer the ice-cream man a hug!"
I wonder when we stop thinking like a 4 and 6 year old and don't think of the value of a hug as being equal to money. It felt good to know that my kids understood the value of that connection, but it made me wonder if I forget it too easily at times. I know when birthdays or holidays come around we are always thinking of what we are getting or giving...what will be bought. There is nothing wrong with that, but are we teaching those around us that those things are more valuable than the things that don't have a price? What would excite us more...winning the lottery or sitting down for a meal with all your family around? If you were to ask someone who has lost a loved one or who is in the process of losing them, what would they choose? I have recently seen people around me who are dealing with this very issue and it has made me reflect on what I place the most value on in my own life. I can say that I place higher value on those non-monetary things in my life and in my heart I do, but like everyone it is easy to get caught up in our daily lives and routines and forget about their value or take it for granted.
So, is it possible to get something for nothing? It is possible....It may mean looking away from that phone or ipad, turning the TV off or stepping outside of your norm, to spend time with someone else. This I know though....you will get something in return! Are you getting something for nothing? No, you have to invest of your time and energy to get this pay off, but I will say this I have found it to be quite the bargain, you will get so much more out of it than you can ever imagine.
