My older granddaughter achieved a personal goal this week that she had set back at the first of the school year: to read a million words.
It’s a thing in elementary schools, in conjunction with the Accelerated Reader program, I am guessing, in which students select books from the school library and then take a test for comprehension assessment.
This week she became, in her words, “a millionaire, Pearl!”
Now, of course, I am a proud grandmother and applaud her discipline and her enjoyment of reading. Her mother models reading at home, grabbing a book when little brother is napping, especially on long school holidays, a bit on weekends, and more often during the summer. Trips to the public library in Snyder are a family thing and have been since Lillie was quite young.
But another part of this little narrative is how her little sister Ellie responded. Ellie is three years younger and is growing into her own version of reading.
While Lillie and her mom went to the AR party, Ellie hung out with her dad. She asked him if he would take her to Dollar Tree so that she could get her sister a card and a few things to decorate her sister’s room to celebrate the occasion.
Dad obliged, and off they went. Ellie quickly made her selections (she has always been an easy shopper as she knows exactly what she wants, grabs it, and is ready to check out).
When Lillie arrived home, she walked into her room, greeted by decorations and a card signed by a little sister who wanted to show some love.
These two are typical in many ways and have had to spend their share of time-outs from each other over fights about the silliest of things. But they are a pair, these sisters, bonded by love for dance, laughter, swimming, playing outside, singing, shooting baskets, flying high on the park swings, baking, and not wanting to clean their rooms (shared allergy).
What a sweet moment for my daughter and son-inlaw to see their hard work as parents display dividends such as this. I’ll remind them of this moment when adolescence rolls around, and everybody in that house will be wanting to pull each other’s hair out.
Lillie’s goal was commendable.
Ellie’s thoughtfulness was genuine.
Lessons from the littles are golden to this silver-haired grandmother.