Asalaamu alaikum waramatulahi wabarakatu
welcome to this post.
I know, I know..... 79 cents?!?! Really? Some may say incredulously.
It's not that she is worth 79 cents but what it represents to me, to her.
She has a bag of change. She is very proud of her ability to count and start adding up and subtracting money. There is very few coins in this bag and we were at the Dollar store getting paint for her, hair pieces, bubbles, and Drano for the bathroom sink.
She was very enthusiastic and wanting to pay at check out. I , unfortunately; had NO CASH on me to slip into her bag to give her the satisfaction of doing so. Therefore, I hemmed and hawed trying to distract her and explain to her that I would pay. A lady stood next to us at check out.
Mind you yesterday was a gorgeous day 68 degrees, well today...it was 90! I was standing there in a black Caftan (it's VERY light and flowey) and hijab. The lady next to me gave me a look, the once over so to speak. I smiled. Evelyn persisted on talking about her love of her coins and the fact that she wanted to pay, the lady smiled at her.
I started pulling out my debit card to pay. Meanwhilee the lady next to me as well seeked a means of payment; and dropped some money (coins) in the process. Neither she, nor I, realized it; but my little Miss did. She scurried over there to pick up the coins.
She then proceeded to look at the lady and said "excuse me, here", and tried to put it in her purse (lol bad habit, she needs to stay out my purse shoot!)
The lady was taken aback and smiled and said oh no honey. My little monkey replied "it's your money, you dropped it, here" I turned to catch the back end of this, hot, annoyed, and ready for air conditioning, a bath or both. I realized what was going on and the lady looked at me, and smiled and said "good job mom" and she then looked at my monkey and said how much is it? Seventy nine cents, you can keep it.
"No, it's yours" (Tries to stick hand in nice ladies purse again!! LOL) "you dropped it, it's not my money I have mines"
The lady said you can have it honey. I just stood there...so proud.
The sweltering heat momentarily forgotten, as I thought of ways to praise her. She made me so proud on SO many levels, yes it was "only" 79 cents but it was her honesty, child innocence, and just ya' know it's Great dawah. Here is not only a child behaving, but one who obviously likes money, wants to have some more of it, returns it and belongs to "One of those Mozlems"
I continued to go get quarters, however I no longer intended to wash clothes that morning. Our plans had been changed. It was sunny, warm, we needed lunch and I had a baby who needed a lot of praise, recognition, and a reward. We ended up at the park having a picnic, painting sun catchers and letting her be six.
In the car I reinforced it all by bringing it up and reminding her to be a good person and a great Muslim is to be trust worthy and honest. I stressed how very proud I was and how she made me smile.
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