Ethan the Peacemaker

Every night at dinner I ask the kids what they learned in the day. Emily usually talks about something she learned in a class or sometimes she shares an insightful lesson. Jace and Claire still aren't quite getting the question and they end up reciting the events of the day. And it's usually quite difficult to extract something out of Ethan. But tonight he surprised us.

He said that he learned about being a peacemaker. He said that's someone who helps others to stop fighting and helps other people feel good. He said, "You're a peacemaker, Dad. You help us kids to not fight." And he complimented Mom similarly. I would have felt good about that except that Emily chimed in with "Yeah, he says Emily, Ethan stop fighting right now!" Dang it.

But anyway Ethan said he wants to be a peacemaker because it helps people be happy. I'm so amazed at Ethan's good heart. He does fight a lot with his siblings and he seems to love to get reactions from people but he has thoughtful, reflective moments like this that give a window into who he really is. He's a good kid.