The Sweetness of Banana Bread

Like the title says, this post is about banana bread. You may be wonder what I could possibly have to say about banana bread and why it's worthy of a blog post. Hopefully, my words will be able to convey how special this moment really was for me.
Last night, I went over to Esperanza, the boys house next door. My plan was to drop off a couple of things and be on my way, but I was invited to stay and was so glad I did. Lorena, one of our substitute house moms, was getting ready to make dinner and told me she was going to make banana bread. Carlos was instantly at her side asking if he could help. Let me just take a moment to describe Carlos so you can picture this better: he is adorable! He is 5 years old, tiny, full of energy, has one of the cutest smiles, and most times, is a bit of a handful. Lorena graciously accepted his offer to help and he eagerly set up a chair by the counter and ran around the kitchen gathering the ingredients. He was so excited that he was jumping up and down, while mixing. The amount of patience Lorena had with him just amazed me - she said nothing when he filled a measuring cup too full or when he cracked an egg all over the counter instead of into the bowl. She just let him be in charge. I stood by Carlos's side as he mixed everything together. Every so often, he would say, "Look Megan! I'm doing it!" and his whole face would light up with that precious smile that melts my heart every time. He was so eager to help and so focused on making sure he did everything exactly right. As I watched him make the bread, I wished I had my camera with me, but the mental image I have will stay with me for a long time.
There aren't many who would be willing to have a little boy full of energy like Carlos helping in the kitchen. But once he was given a job, he rose to the task. It reminded me of how much our kids need to feel like they have a purpose and need to have individual attention every once in awhile. Sometimes it can be easy to label or limit children - "There's no way he can sit still for that long!" or "It's just too complicated for someone like her" - but with patient guidance, they are completely capable. These are the moments I treasure.
By the way, it was the sweetest banana bread I've tasted in a long time!