A Lesson on “Choosing the Right”

Last week we had a rather funny thing happen at the Egbert house.  I had gone grocery shopping with the kids at Wal-Mart and while leaving the store the “Alarm” sounded.  My bags were checked against my receipt and when everything was found to be paid for and the alarm didn’t sound the 2nd time I was asked to go through it we thought it was just a fluke. 

However, the next day I received an email from our back door neighbor Liz commenting on how cute it was that Branson had given her little 5 year old girl Syndey a ring.  “She absolutely LOVES it,” she wrote in her email. 

Now I should tell you that Branson and Sydney have had quite the thing for each other.  She gives him kisses on his cheek and he picks flowers for her.  Sydney has asked Branson to marry him and although he debated between Sydney and another one of our friends daughters Kayla for a few days, he eventually decided he would Marry Sydney. 

I personally think its super cute that they like each other and are so sweet to each other and I like to razz Branson about it frequently.  So when I heard Brans had given Sydney a “ring” I couldn’t help but tease him about it that evening while Adam and I were putting him to bed (I assumed he had given her some old all a dollar ring we had in our playroom).  “So Brans, I heard you gave a ring to Sydney today?”  He got all quiet like and responded, “How did you hear about that?”  I told him that Syndey’s Mom had told me about it. 

Then Adam joined in by asking, “Where did you get the ring buddy?”  We could tell from the look on Branson’s face and the sheer look of terror that there was more to the story than met the eye.  Branson got deathly quiet and even after asking him several more times where he got the ring he still had a hard time saying anything,  Finally he responded, “I’m thinking!”

Eventually we were able to get it out of him that he had STOLEN the ring from Wal-Mart!  We had a very serious talk about how stealing is wrong and then he had to figure out what he needed to do to make it right.  it consisted of getting the ring back from Sydney, apologizing to her, and then taking the ring back to Wal-Mart and apologizing to them as well and paying for it if needed.  Branson also said a prayer that night as well to tell Heavenly Father he was sorry too since he broke a commandment. 

So Tuesday was the day.  We went to Wal-Mart and in an effort to help Branson learn a valuable lesson I asked the customer service manager if she would call down the security guard and have him talk to him.  He ended up being PERFECT for the job and took Branson back in his office and was able to tell Branson what he did as a security officer and what happened to people who stole.  Not only that but he was able to show Branson’s his camera’s, and find the EXACT time Branson stole the ring, and show him on CAMERA himself stealing it.  He also showed Branson pictures of shoplifters and how sad they looked and talked about the police taking them to jail and what jail was like. 

He then made Branson promise never to steal again and told him that he would let him off the hook this time, but that next time he would have to call the police…I am hoping this will help Branson to never want to steal again.

So you want to see the $20 ring Branson stole for his one true love?  I am still laughing about it!