Kids... They are beautiful.

Wednesday was a very hard day for Cais because her beta fish, Blue Star, died right before her Stars class. Jen and Cais came over to tell me, and it was so sad. Cais had tears that were flowing down her little cheeks. As we were trying to comfort her, Jennah came over and asked what was wrong. We told her that Cais's fish died, and then she said oh so clearly and sincerely, "Oh, that's so sad." When she said it, she grabbed Cais and gave her a big hug where their little cheeks were side to side. Then Jennah gave me a big kiss squeezing my cheeks so tightly. It made Cais totally bust out laughing, and it was beautiful. Jennah's beauty and innocence made a grieving friend have some much needed joy.

Once we were in Prims, both Kaitlyn C. and Malia got sick and had to leave the class. We divided up into 3 different prayer groups and we prayed. They always crack me up with the prayer requests. Grace wanted prayer that she wouldn't be surrounded by so many boys (in the lunch line, at her desk, etc.). A couple of the girls wanted prayers for their dads' legs and for their dad's health. Two of the kids wanted prayers for their animals (one just had a puppy that opened its eyes for the first time and the other had a puppy that just died). We each prayed for the person on their left, so I asked Cheyanna if she wanted to pray for Cais, Malia, or Kaitlyn because they were "my prayer requests". She decided that she would pray for Cais because she doesn't understand what's wrong with Malia and Kaitlyn and she has had a fish die before so she understands that. Then, she said the most simplest, child-like, cutest prayer ever: "Dear Lord, I ask you to help Cais's fish have a good time in heaven. Amen.". It was so precious, I had to tell Cais.

Later on, after I told Cais about Cheyanna's prayer, I was talking to her about her fish Blue Star. She was telling me about how she could never get another fish because it would just make her miss Blue Star so much. She also told me a story about how her mom cried when her fish died when she was 21. She proceeded to explain to me that she thinks it is okay to cry when your fish dies when you're 8 but that it's not okay when you're 21. It was kind of funny how much she has processed the justification of her own crying at 8 and how she thinks there is a certain age to where it's no longer socially acceptable. There is so much that this beautiful little girl thinks about and realizes - and it is scary how mature she already is.