Getting more than I give

5/15/10 Poster of Kevin Henkes' Lilly, given away

My cousin Amy, a regular reader of the Downsizing Blog -- Thank you, Amy! -- invited us over this morning to have breakfast with her family. Her husband Dujuan cooked up some delicious pancakes and we enjoyed a fantastic morning with a truly gracious and enjoyable family.

Many of our most useful baby items -- the bathtub, the bouncy chair, and the Moses Basket -- came from Amy, so naturally we wanted to give her something in return as we visited. We settled on a great poster of a storybook mouse, Lilly, who is certainly one of Joanna and my favorite fictional characters. Star of Julius: The Baby of the World, Lilly's Big Day, and, most famously, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, she is a true independent little lady, just like Amy's three daughters.

Of course, we hadn't even handed over the poster before Amy was giving us additional baby items, including a cute little red jacket and a little push wagon that helps kids learn to walk. Before I could raise any downsizing objections, Joanna had enthusiastically accepted the gifts.

If you spend any time with Amy, Dujuan, and their daughters, it quickly becomes apparent that they are exceptional parents. Indeed, I could give them a hundred posters and would still walk away with more than I came with. Their gifts aren't only the toys and gadgets of parenthood. They also provide the invaluable gift of effective parenting.

That's something I'm happy to keep collecting.