The right thing to do...

My 13 year old daughter Nicole found a $100 bill at her school back in the fall. She came home that day to tell us the story. As she began, I became somewhat excited that she was $100 richer just by looking at the ground as she walked the halls. I wasn't sure what this said about her social confidence, but at the time of the story, this didn't even occur to me.

At the end of the story she told us she decided to turn it into the office because she understood how one of her classmates would feel had they lost this amount of money. I almost cried. She did the right thing - the ONLY thing to do in this case. Now I must admit this was a subtle reflection of our parenting. But I was more proud of my little girl than anything else.

The school told her that if no one claimed it it would become hers. She waited and waited. I kept asking her about it as the months rolled by. Then just yesterday my friend Kevin found $20 in an ATM and it occured to me to ask Nicole about the $100. She said that someone did come forth, only a few weeks ago. I was sad for her, not because she missed out on $100, but that she wasn't going to be rewarded for her good deed. I told her how I felt. She said, "That's OK Daddy, my reward was feeling good that I did the right thing." OK, now I'm crying again...

Although Nicole wasn't extrinsically rewarded, she was certainly rewarded intrinsically. She understands. And this is what counts in my book - yours? Now, if I can only get her to clean her room.........