Lessons from a lunchbox

Yesterday afternoon, I opened up the door to go get the boys off the bus and met them at the door....I was late getting out there. Cody looked like he was crying so I asked what was wrong. Through tears that turned into a wail, he said he lost his lunch box. I asked for more info---where did you lose it? Do you mean you forgot it? (wailing): Y------e----sssss!! Bless his heart, he was beside himself b/c he accidentally left his lunch box at school on the shelf he puts it on when he's done eating. They're supposed to grab it on their way out the door to the bus, but I'm guessing he was distracted---I know, it's hard to believe w/ Cody..... :o) I tried to comfort him and explain that he can jsut take another lunch box tomorrow or he can take his food in a sack and we can put it in the lunch box when we get to school. (Trevor forgot his a couple of times and this is what we did. Incidentally, when T forgot his, it was more like "Where's your lunch box?" "Oh, I forgot it!" I was the one more concerned that his lunch box was at school.) Cody just kept crying and crying and just could not comprehend my suggestion of still being able to bring his lunch from home. I think he thought w/o HIS lunch box, he would ahve to eat the school's lunch--b/c he said he wanted someone to eat lunch with him. He desperately wanted to go back to the school to retrieve his lunch box....I didn't know if the school would still be open, since it was 3:45, but I remembered when T did his tutoring, we'd have to pick him up at that time so it might be that someone would still be there. We drove all the way over to the school and the door was still open and the secretary (who goes to church w/ us) was there. So Cody ran with joy over to his lunch box---exclaiming as he saw it "THere it is!!" I filled the secretary in and we had a small chuckle at his sweet innocence! :o) You could still see the remnants of tears on his face. :o) He is very happily playing in the playroom now!! All is well in Cody's world again!