Eyewitness to a crime

Life gets complex at an early age. People face the same dilemmas in life only on different levels of severity. The story I'd like to share isn't Enron but to a kid I think the moral dilemma is just as difficult.

Laura was an eye witness to a crime at school today. One of her friends apparently really liked one of the toy cell phones in their classroom. She decided that playtime at school didn't afford her enough time to enjoy this toy and that she would like to play with it at home too. So what did she do? She snuck it into her backpack behind the teachers back. Gasp! Laura witnessed the whole event and was immediately faced with an earth-shattering moral dilemma. She was very upset. On one hand, she knew that her friend was stealing the phone and Laura felt compelled to say something. On the other hand, she really likes this young thief and didn't want to turn her into the authorities and risk losing the friendship of her favorite playmate. When Charlotte picked Laura up from school she was obviously upset. As soon as Laura gave her testimony of the crime she burst into tears and was even able to express her moral dilemma. She knew what was right and she knew that it was wrong for her to not say anything. From start to finish of this situation I am proud of Laura. She took action. She was courageous. She told Charlotte about what she'd witnessed and she even shared her formative thoughts on the situation.

You'll be happy to know that we're headed toward the peaceful resolution of this situation. Justice will be served and the friendship should remain intact. I pray that Laura is just as courageous the next time she faces such a moral dilemma and the stakes are higher. I am also thankful that Charlotte is home to be there as an advocate for our kids, someone they can talk to and share their problems with.