Keeping Promises - or not making them to begin with

On our recent vacation to South Dakota, we stopped at a National Park - the MinuteMan Missle Park in Philip, SD. This was something that I wanted to see. Having expressed that, Amy made sure that we stopped. Where we stopped, there wasn't much to see. They did have a video about the Cold war, and the role that the MM Missle 2 played in it. While I was talking with one of the Park Rangers, Butch Davis (pictured here), Anjali was filling out a packet of info/games to be an "Junior Park Ranger". The rest of the family was done while I continued to talk to Butch.

In about 10 minutes, Anjali appears at the door with what appeared to be tears in her eyes. The adults started to swoon. Evidently, she had read the packet of info more closely, after she signed her name. Her signature said that she pledged to make all her decisions with the best in mind for the Earth. Now, she was only interested in the patch that came with "Junior Park Ranger". So now, as she thought through it all, she felt trapped. She wanted to get out of her pledge. The other Park Rangers (obviously wanting more human contact than they appeared to be getting that day) were quick to console her and tell her that the pledge didn't really mean all that. After some hugs, all was right with the world again, and Anjali went back to join Amy and Mark (as I continued to talk with Butch).

I was very proud of her for her honesty - and for her willingness to admit a mistake - and for her brokenness in a trap for which she was not prepared. Then she made it right!