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Thought for the Day: Have High Aspirations, Materialize Those Aspirations in Mundane Actions, Know Yourself

"Grandma Brag Book" is not just an expression, it is a real thing. You can buy one on Amazon. I don't have a book, but I have a blog. If you don't want to hear a story about my beautiful, spiritual, and absolutely normal granddaughter, then go ahead and move on now. You will miss a great story and amazing life lessons if you do, but I am just giving you a heads up.

For logistic reasons, it works out for us take a couple of our grandchildren to schools in the mornings to accommodate the gap between their parents needing to be at work and when school starts. I often make breakfast for my 11 year old granddaughter. Here was the text exchange (names elided):

Me: Now taking orders for breakfast. Does she want English muffin or raisin bread?

Tatty: Mommy bought donuts yesterday. The boys took extra yesterday and the last one was for your granddaughter this morning. She let the boys split it because she would love Zeidy to make her cereal.

Tatty (second message): She also said that that donut will be waiting for her in olam ha’ba

Come on... how adorable is that? What cereal did she want? I try to eat clean, so my cereal is unsalted roasted nuts, whole grain cereal, plain Greek yogurt, and a tablespoon or so of pomegranate arils to add some sweetness. I asked her why she wanted cereal this morning and she told me that she wants to cut down on carbs. In fact, she also wants a piece of fruit for a snack later because her snacks are all carbs. As she was getting ready to leave, she saw Bubbie's fresh baked cookies. She took one and I heard her say, mostly to herself and before making a bracha, "I'm still a kid, after all."😇

I find it beautiful that our children grow up hearing about Olam HaBa, having good midos, being מוותר/giving in. At that age, in the concrete thinking phase, everything they hear from their teachers and parents is Torah from Sinai. These ideas will be at the core of their being for the rest of their lives.

I just finished my lunch and was about to have a cookie... but I had a piece of fruit, instead. I should also watch my carbs. Maybe after my bike ride; after all, there is still a 10 year old boy living in me.

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