Girl Scout Law - Be a sister to every Girl Scout

This is part of the Girl Scout Law. 

The Girl Scout Law

I will do my best to behonest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and torespect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.

I was never a Girl Scout, but I have a sister. I love my sister. She is closer then a best friend. 

Now, I'm pretty sure when I was 7, I did some pretty shitty things to my sister. This leads me to a very important part of the Girl Scout Law, "Be a sister to every Girl Scout".  

My daughter is at Girl Scout Camp this week. She is experiencing what all kids do at some point in their lives. Meanies. Kids who haven't quite yet learned how to be a good friend, or are working their way to respecting others. This entails taking someone's camera and snapping as many pictures as you can before handing it back, borrowing someone's goggles at the pool and not giving them back when asked to. 

I feel fortunate. My daughter is learning one of the most important lessons of life this week as her camera fills up pictures she didn't take... She is learning how to make friends, but more importantly, she is learning how to choose friends. What a nice surprise that she is learning this in such a gently way over silly and insignificant issues as a camera or goggles. 

This is what I have told her. It is a beginning.

You don't have to be friends with everyone. Friends are nice to each other and enjoy being with each other. They are not mean. If someone is always mean or is always doing things that make you feel bad, then find someone else to be your friend. 

It is okay to say "Friends are nice to each other"

It is okay to tell someone that "Friends don't do that"

It is okay to say "To be my friend you have to be nice to me"

And when you get your feeling hurt by someone telling you "I don't want to be your friend" is it okay to tell them how you feel. It is okay to say "That hurts my feelings, but maybe we can be friends at another time."

Part of me hates that she is experiencing this, and the other part of me rejoices because this is a lesson that can be learned a lot of ways, in a lot harder situation. Camp is more then cook-outs in the woods.

Snuggly

Snuggly is my 6 year old's best friend. He is a 6 year old lamb that has been loved so much his fir is matted and no matter how many times you wash him he has a permanent stink.  He has had 3 emergency surgeries.

1. Back surgery to add additional stuffing as his neck could longer hold his head up
2. A nose job due to it disappearing when all the pink thread wore loose
3. The most recent surgery, which you will read about now

Little Beany came to me and asked if I would sew Snuggly's mouth back on. It consisted of 2 thick pink threads.  This of course was part of the nose I had fixed a couple months ago which was wearing thin as she rubs it constantly. I promised her I would even if I had to while she was sleeping that night.

While she was asleep that night, I started on Snuggly's mouth. I got out some thread and it didn't look right. In fact, it wasn't the right thickness. Oh great. Am I going to have to go to Walmart at midnight to look for thread? I hate Walmart. Well, another thought occurred to me. I have my Nana's old sewing basket in the closet.

It brought back memories of her teaching me how to sew. Making clothes for my toy dolls, clothes for me and my siblings to wear - matching of course, and her own detailed needlepoint and wardrobe. She did not buy off the rack. She bought material.

It must be the cosmos comforting me. I looked in the basket and found a bag of cross stitch/needlepoint thread....one bunch was the exact same pink as Snuggly's nose. I worked so hard I managed to channel my Nana I could feel her sitting next to me directing me on how to sew this mouth and nose. It took a few tries and a lot of ripping and starting over, but we did it. As I looked at the new nose and mouth, it occurred to me that my Nana would not stop there. Although it was past midnight, I then spent another hour sewing in a small pink heart on Snuggly's chest, which my 6 year old now kisses every night when she goes to bed.

I love sewing with my Nana, and my Nana would have loved sewing for my Little Beany.