{"id":9102,"date":"2011-01-12T07:00:40","date_gmt":"2011-01-12T13:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ashleyannphotography.com\/blog\/?p=9102"},"modified":"2011-12-01T23:50:19","modified_gmt":"2011-12-02T05:50:19","slug":"a-gift-from-a-brother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ashleyannphotography.com\/blog\/2011\/01\/12\/a-gift-from-a-brother\/","title":{"rendered":"“I knew he’d like it, so I got it for him.”"},"content":{"rendered":"

I really love this picture of him. He’s not looking at me. He’s not smiling. He’s not moving. He’s just sitting…staring off…serious…handsome.
\n\"1.12.11-01\"<\/a>It reflects a side of him that is sometimes hard to capture with my camera. He’s my oldest. Not one day have I ever missed the days when he was a baby. Not for one day do I wish I could go back and relive that time. Not because he was a rough baby. He wasn’t. I just think that if you really live in the present, you don’t miss it when it becomes the past in regards to loved ones that are still with you. <\/strong>I love seeing who he is becoming. I remember and cherish the days he used to lay swaddled in my arms and fall asleep. As fond as those memories are…I don’t want to go back in time. I want today with him. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Today.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was almost so distracted by his younger siblings that I nearly missed what he said as he slipped something in my pocket on the school playground.\u00a0 “Will you hold this? I got it from the Treasure Box today.” And he ran off to play. I stuck my hand in my pocket to pull out a little cardboard box with funny little snowmen on it.
\n\"1.12.11-02\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I knew the minute I saw it that the puzzle was not for him, but for his youngest brother. He had earned a reward at school and instead of using it on himself he picked out a little puzzle for his brother. I asked him about it and he responded, “I knew he liked it, so I got it for him.”<\/p>\n

Simple as that.
\n\"1.12.11-03\"<\/a><\/p>\n

His little brother did like it. It was a thoughtful and generous gift.
\n\"1.12.11-04\"<\/a>
\n\"1.12.11-05\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“I knew he’d like it, so I got it for him.”
\n\"1.12.11-06\"<\/a><\/p>\n

He is a normal 6 year old who can be selfish and fights with his brothers. I often wonder if he is getting anything I am trying to teach him. I’m grateful for a little Treasure Box puzzle that reminded me that he is listening when I don’t realize. He is watching. He is learning. He is getting it. Somewhere along the way my oldest has learned generosity and thinking of others before himself…and if I wasn’t paying attention I would have missed noticing.
\n\"1.12.11-07\"<\/a>
\n\"1.12.11-08\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“I knew he’d like it, so I got it for him.” Simple as that.<\/p>\n

Makes me wonder what do I know that someone in my life would like…and what is keeping me from doing it or giving it?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I really love this picture of him. He’s not looking at me. He’s not smiling. He’s not moving. He’s just sitting…staring off…serious…handsome. It reflects a side of him that is sometimes hard to capture with my camera. He’s my oldest. Not one day have I ever missed the days when he was a baby. Not for one day do I wish I could go back and relive that time. Not because he was a rough baby. He wasn’t. I just think that if you really live in the present, you don’t miss it when it becomes the past in regards to loved ones that are still with you. I love seeing who he is becoming. I remember and cherish the days he used to lay swaddled in my arms and fall asleep. As fond as those memories are…I don’t want to go back in time. I want today with him. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Today. I was almost so distracted by his younger siblings that I nearly missed what he said as he slipped something in my pocket on the school playground.\u00a0 “Will you hold this? I got it from the Treasure Box today.” And he ran off to play. I stuck my hand in my pocket to pull out a little cardboard box with funny little snowmen on it. I knew the minute I saw it that the puzzle was not for him, but for his youngest brother. He had earned a reward at school and instead of using it on himself he picked out a little puzzle for his brother. I asked him about it and he responded, “I knew he liked it, so I got it for him.” Simple as that. His little brother did like it. It was a thoughtful and generous gift. “I knew he’d like it, so I got it for him.” He is a normal 6 year old who can be selfish and fights with his brothers. I often wonder if he is getting anything I am trying to teach him. I’m grateful for a little Treasure Box puzzle that reminded me that he is listening when I don’t realize. He is watching. He is learning. He is getting it. Somewhere along the way my oldest has learned generosity and thinking of others before himself…and if I wasn’t paying attention I would have missed noticing. “I knew he’d like it, so I got it for him.” Simple as that. Makes me wonder what do I know that someone in my life would like…and what is keeping me from doing it or giving it?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-personal"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t