Caring for an Other

One day this past week after nap, Dexter had just gotten a diaper change and was eating a snack of cheddar-flavored goldfish when I noticed him go over to his bucket of little 2" tall plastic people and rummage through it until he came up with the "baby" as indicated by the bottle in its hand. He brought the "baby" over to the coffee table and pretend-fed him a goldfish, gently tapping the baby's mouth with the goldfish. Then, Dexter (with "baby" in hand) went over to his diapers, grabbed one, and brought it to the arm chair where he placed the "baby" down on its back, opened the diaper and gently placed the diaper under the baby's lower half. I was so impressed with this act of nurturing an other that my eyes filled with tears.