Jadyn's first friend "fight"

Today when Jadyn got off the bus after school, she was not herself. She is usually happy and excited and full of life. Today she was mopy and sad and told me "I never want to have a play date with Leilani ever again"! Oh boy. Apparently the two of them had a squabble on the bus and Jadyn was having a hard time with it. Poor girl. She didn't want to talk about it to me, but as soon as she got in the door she went to the craft table and started drawing a picture and ended up making a book to tell the story of how it happened, and then read that book to me later. I have a feeling this girl might be a big journaler. She seems to like to tell stories and write her feelings down.

She continued to have a bit of a hard night emotionally and her thoughts kept coming back to the fight with her friend. I had a hard time watching her deal with it and wasn't sure exactly how to deal with it myself. So at bedtime when we all knelt down for prayers, I told the girls before they say their prayers mommy wants to say a special "family prayer" too (Josh was at work and Mya was already in bed) so we all knelt down and I prayed for each of my girls individually and then I expressed to Heavenly Father about what happened to Jadyn today, how she was feeling, and asked a special blessing that she might be able to find it within herself to forgive Leilani and to understand that sometimes even the people we love hurt us, and to help her to be able to deal with the hurt feelings and be a kind and loving friend no matter how she is treated. I ended the prayer and the girls hopped into bed.

Every night at bedtime I lay with each of the girls in their beds for a few minutes to either read a special story or to just have some quality pillow talk to end the day. I started with Heidi and while Heidi and I were chatting I heard Jadyn up on her bunk bed writing a letter to Leilani. (she talks out loud when she writes and sometimes asks for spelling). I was so proud of her in that moment and thankful that Heavenly Father was looking down on my little girl tonight to help her forgive and to find love in her heart.

When it was Jadyn's turn for pillow talk we talked again about what happened and how she felt, and I expressed to her how proud I am of her for being able to forgive so easily and pointed out that that is exactly what Christ would have done (she was a little confused as she pointed out that they didn't have paper and pencils when Jesus was on the earth lol). At one point she got tears in her eyes while we were talking and then she said to me "Mom I am just crying because I am so happy!" My heart is full tonight and I am so happy to be a mother to this sweet spirit that has been sent to me to care for. Sometimes I know I fall short and make a LOT of mistakes, but tonight heavenly Father showed me that I am at least doing a little bit of good in the lives of my children. I am so thankful for the gospel in my life and to be able to share that joy with my family.

"The fight with leilani" (the picture is of her frowning on the bus)

"I accidentally pulled Leilani's hair. Leilani was so mad" (according to Jadyn she was moving her backpack and it got caught on Leilani's hair and then she got really mad which is what started it)

"Leilani is so rude" (then a picture of Jadyn and I hugging when I picked her up from the bus) then "I hate Leilani, she is rude" (a picture of the two of them clearly not happy with each other!)

"But my sister I like" (picture of her playing with her sister)
then "I like my mom too"

"The End" (the bottom part she said is because the reader needs to decide if the book is about feeling "mad, sad, or happy" (the answer is "sad")

And the forgiveness note she wrote her only a few minutes after she finished writing the last page of the book above! How quickly children can forgive!

Now I am praying hard tonight that her friend can forgive her as well and they can have a better day tomorrow!