Friday, February 09, 2007

in the grocery store

I don't usually take Nick to the grocery store if I can help it. There's usually too much dawdling, too much wheedling, too much...everything. It's just quicker and easier to do it myself. But there we were together yesterday, and he was terrific, really. He did find things to stand and look at, and a notebook that he just had to have, but he put it carefully in the cart and announced that he was paying for it. (He has money left over from Christmas.)

As I was unloading the cart at the checkout, I noticed him looking through the candy selections. Nothing unusual there. Every now and then he'd hold one up and ask if I liked it. I have a pretty reliable sweet tooth, but nothing looked that good to me, and I said so. He put a box of Junior Mints (movie-snack-size) on the belt anyway. When I gave him a look he said, "I'll pay for them. They're for everyone to share."

"Why do you want to buy candy for everyone?"

"Well," he explained, "I have money burning a hole in my pocket. And usually when that happens I buy something just to spend the money, and then I'm disappointed. So I thought if I bought something for everyone to share, I'd get the fun of spending the money and I wouldn't be disappointed. I think that's what you should do if you have money burning a hole in your pocket: buy something for everyone."

I couldn't argue with that. The Junior Mints came home with the rest of the groceries.

2 comments:

Becca said...

M has quite a lot of money (for a kid: we're talking in the tens--she earned it, not from us). This year she spent $43 on Hanukkah presents for the family, and she was so thrilled! I think maybe I gently suggested it, but she totally took it on as her thing--it's so great when they realize the pleasure of doing for others.

Heather said...

oh, too cute, libby - that made my afternoon. lovely family, all-around.