The evening was nice for going on a bike ride. There was a gentle breeze. It was quiet as our neighbors all around had mostly retreated to their home, a soft chair, television and some good tasting comforting food. The path we'd take went past the high school. It was one many students had traveled many times to get to their destination of necessary learning. At first it was narrow and a well-trodden dirt path. Bumpy but bearable for bike riders like us. Then it became a sidewalk with about a six inch drop off all around the edges.

Jonathan and I were on a mission. We were headed for the Wendy's Fast Food Restaurant about a mile from where we live. Jonathan had been awarded this opportunity because he was the nicest kid in the Carlton household. My others had tried but after much thinking and discussion as the mother I chose him.

I had invented a new contest for my children. I'll call it the kindness contest. Lately my sons and daughter were becoming annoying to me and especially my husband because they were constantly at each others throats yelling, teasing and pestering. Last week when we started our contest I asked Danny on Thursday night who had acted the nicest and he said they had all been bad all day long. He said he deserved the treat for having to put up with them all day. So I drove to Wendy's and got something for Danny and me.

Today I didn't have to go to work so all through the day for this week's contest when my children would start getting rude with each other I would remind them to be kind. And most of the time they would stop. Some of the other things they had to do were their chores and their schoolwork. No one completed the day perfectly but I could see obvious improvements. They were all trying. Finally, I decided Jonathan would get to go.

When we arrived at Wendy's we both got a Frosty. It cost $2.18. We sat on the sidewalk by our bikes as we ate our cup of chocolate soft serve ice cream. Jonathan enjoyed talking about anything that would cross his mind. We talked about driving a car, ice cream headaches, the oldest Wendy's restaurant and that I ate Frosty's when I was his age. It was good. Jonathan said he was glad he ordered the Frosty rather than French fries.

Going home was fun too. When we came to the high school we went all around the the new sports building. I liked the parking lot. It was a big open expanse of smooth pavement where I could liberally ride and then coast on my bike. I enjoyed this. Riding bikes with Jonathan made me feel as carefree as a kid.

When we made it back home a police officer drove by as he slowly patrolled our area. I waved at him and then opened the gate to our yard. When Jonathan went in our home he wanted to sneak up on everyone in the living room. Samuel and Danny were having some serious conversation. (Samuel asked Danny if you could stop time could you change the direction of a bullet!) Then Jonathan quickly yelled out, "What's going on?" There wasn't the hoped-for startled response. So Jonathan then settled in to the TV watching like the rest of the family. And as he sat on the couch he probably thought back on our bike trip and the good ice cream he had got to enjoy.