A Rose Among the Thorns....

I have a lot of Rose bushes in my garden....I think there are 22 total.  Every time I prune them I am amazed at how many thorns there are, and I hate the thorns....

but the flowers are just so beautiful and I love them!!!

I don't think it is any secret how much I dislike New Jersey.....

it has been all "prickles and stings" (from Anne of Green Gables :) ) so far....

but today.....I found a rose among the thorns.

Meet Rachel....

....she is a girl in Jason and Reagan's Kindergarten class.  The day they met Rachel, they came home talking about this "little tiny girl" in their class who "didn't have any friends"....so Reagan told her "I will be your friend".  This past Monday Rachel wasn't in school.  The twins came home and said that they didn't know why she wasn't at school but that they had missed her.  

On Tuesday Rachel returned to school.  When the boys asked her where she was 

she told them she was at her mother's funeral.....the boys know what a funeral is, but they asked me if I thought that Rachel's mom had died...it made them really sad.

I asked the teacher about this and she confirmed that Rachel's mother had been sick for a very long time and had passed away the week before.  :(

This weekend Jason and Reagan will celebrate their 6th birthday....today was their class party.

I brought Dunkin Donuts and juice boxes for the party.  After everyone had their donuts and juice, and after the kids sang to Jason and Reagan, Rachel raised her hand and asked if she could come back to talk to the teacher.  When she came back she told the teacher that she "had to get a present for Jason and Reagan".  Mrs. Wilson assured her that it wasn't necessary to go get them a present.  Rachel said "yes, I have to give it to them, it is in my backpack".  So the teacher gave her permission to go get the present, and Rachel presented Jason and Reagan with a gift for their birthday....

I was totally in awe....she was so excited to give them their gift and told me about how she and her dad had gone shopping...then she began showing the boys how to work their new toy....because "her dad showed her how it worked"....

I teared up then, and I am tearing up now as I think about this little girl who just lost her mother, and her dad, taking time this week to go shopping for Jason and Reagan's birthday....

Jason told her "you don't have to give us a present, just being your friend is enough"...

I think he's right :)  I also think that no matter where we move to, they will never forget Rachel....

I know I won't.