bead girl

my wife told me a story about when she was a preschooler. "i remember that i wanted a pair of slippers. it was orange and it had all of these colorful beads on the part that went over the toes. i begged my parents so much that they eventually got it for me."

"on the first day i wore it to preschool, i was so proud of it. then, this friend of mine asked if she could take one of the beads from the slipper strap. i said yes, and removed the colorful bead for her to take. but then, her friend wanted a bead, and then the friend of the friend, and so on, until everyone in my preschool class wanted a bead."

"i remember feeling scared, but i wanted to make everyone happy. so i ended up giving away all the beads from my brand new slippers."

"when my parents picked me up, they asked me, 'what happened to all of the beads?' i was really scared, especially since they had gotten those slippers just for me. but i told them the truth, about how everyone had wanted a bead, so i had given everyone a bead. my parents didn't say anything about it after that. they didn't scold me or praise me."

"it was so weird."

and i remembered why i loved my wife so much... how she was so generous and giving. sure, some might see a touch of peer-pressure in her story, but i'd seen enough of her to know better. my wife is brave in giving, and she's intelligent in giving. she is "thoughtful" in the truest sense.

i felt moved to hold her then. "i have all the beads now," i murmured, "and the girl who gave them besides."