The Buddy Walk

Being a parent is hard. I mean, deciding what a reasonable expectation is, figuring out consequences for bad behavior, how to best teach things like honesty and respect and kindness. Brian and I are constantly asking ourselves, "Are we doing OK or will our kids all end up in years of therapy?". But there are a few things that we are really sure we are doing right. And there are moments that shine through the day-to-day worry that make it clear that this is true.

A year or two ago we started a "Pay it Back" system with Jake where for every outside activity he joined (YBall, Tball, Chess Club, etc..) he had to "pay it back" by doing something good for the community. Over the last few years he has helped clean up the riverbank, raised money for a cause by selling his old toys/books, made cookies for the local fire station, picked up trash in our community, etc...

Most recently he chose to do The Buddy Walk which benefits the Down Syndrome Association. When we first moved here, Jake was 3 1/2 and was in a summer camp with a boy, Anthony, that has Downs. He became friends with him and with this boy's grandfather (Pop Pop). It also turns out that Anthony is in his first grade class this year and Pop-Pop volunteers in there weekly, so this friendship continues.

So we signed the family up to walk in the Buddy Walk. It is a one mile walk through downtown Boise, starting at the Capitol Buliding and ending at Julia Davis Park with activities and food for everyone. It promotes awareness of Down Syndrome and also raises money for research. We bundled everyone up and joined the walkers yesterday morning. Jake, and I walked it, with Brian pulling the little kids in the big red wagon. We didn't know if Anthony and his family would be there or not, but they ended up right in front of us and were surprised, I think, that Jake had chosen to do this to support Anthony. The boys walked together, playing and talking about Halloween costumes, then hung out for a little while at the jumpy house at the end of the walk.

So, between this "pay it forward" thing and the fact that they can all sing along to music by artists from Abba to Led Zeppelin- we are at least doing something right as parents.