we went to

one of my grandie’s soccer games

his day to bring the snack

a variety pack

filled with all things crunchy and wonderful

he was really excited to share the treats

but worried

that his favorites would all be gone

i told him that it was important to offer them all

and then to eat whatever was left

but

he might be able to up the odds a little bit

by putting his favorites at the bottom of the box

that way he was more likely to have them left over

and he didn’t have to feel bad

because he had offered all of them to his team

if he was meant to have them

they would still be there

if not

it was nice of him to have shared them

i watched as he thought it over

and

carefully put his ‘puffy cheetos’ on the bottom.

after the game he shared the snacks

and was delighted to see

that amazingly

his favorites were still there.

my daughter said that this was probably

the advice he would remember most from me

not to be kind, to be fair, or to take turns

but rather,

to put your favorites in the bottom of the box,

offer them to your friends

cross your fingers

and

hope for the best.

nothing wrong with hoping for the best.

grandparents are there to help the child get into mischief

they haven’t thought of yet.

~ gene perret