Because character speaks for itself.

August 9, 2024

I met my niece, Jayne, when she had just turned four. My brother was dating her mother, and like any young couple experiencing new love, they wanted to spend all their time together. I was charmed by this precocious little woman, and she began spending weekends with me.

Jayne was, and still is, an old soul. Even as a child, she said the most profound things, often causing me to reevaluate my own assessments and my own judgment. She had my number and she taught me important things about myself. She very simply always spoke her truth. I was then, and still am, in awe of Jayne. She is hands down my most favorite person in the world. I adore her.

When she was little, like most kids just being kids, she’d get in trouble sometimes. Her mother would chastise her, rarely raising her voice. She was very gentle with Jayne when she was little. As expected, Jayne would throw a fit about being disciplined for something she didn’t believe she deserved to be disciplined for.

Sometimes I’d witness these exchanges. Her mother was not a harsh disciplinarian, and they were very close, so any disapproval she received from her was devastating. Jayne had an incredibly tender heart, but that didn’t stop her from doing some of the thoughtless and inappropriate things children do simply because they’re children…