"Nanay, I forgive you...," said Haley.

I turn and see her face her eyes are tearing up. I say: thank u for forgiving me... Why are you forgiving me? This is the first time she said she forgave me without my having asked for forgiveness. I don't even know what I did!

"Nilaksan mo ung boses mo kanina," (You raised your voice at me a while ago) her 4-year-old voice breaking up as she talked, "but I forgive you very much."

Then I remembered how I told her to stop putting her fingers in her mouth. I was annoyed but I hadn't even realized that I'd raised my voice!

How cute that Haley has developed this wonderful character trait. It was not my original intention to teach her this.

I had picked up from homeschooling blogs and seminars that we as parents should ask our children for forgiveness when we commit mistakes. So I began doing it whenever I forgot things I said I would do for my kids, whenever I lose my temper and such.

"Do you forgive me?" I would say. When Haley did not know how to respond at first, I used to ask her to repeat after me "Say: Yes, I forgive you nanay."

From there she learned. But it's amazing how she seemed to evolve. From being able to simply respond, she now understands an abstract concept that most people find hard to do in their mature years.

There is beauty in a child who knows how to forgive and I pray she will continue to grow with a kind heart.