Sometimes my teenager rolls his eyes.

He usually grumbles about homework and chores. He almost never changes the toilet paper roll. And every night he sighs deeply when I tell him it’s time to head up to bed. “Mom, it’s not even late!”

Sometimes I wonder if he’s ever going to get it? Is he going to turn out okay?

Then one day last week I caught him stuffing an outgrown pair of basketball shoes into his backpack.

When I asked what he was doing, he shrugged and explained there’s a kid in the grade below who slips his shoes off every day when they play basketball together outside after lunch. His feet get sore because his shoes are two sizes too small.

And my eye-rolling, deep-sighing son didn’t hesitate.

He didn’t ask.

And he didn’t make it any big deal.

He just found his basketball shoes from last season (which are in great shape because his feet are growing exponentially and I buy new shoes every few months) and packed them in his bag for his friend at school who needs a size 10.

You know, I don’t know if he’ll EVER get around to changing the toilet paper roll…

But I’m not too worried, really.

I’m proud of the compassionate young man he is becoming.

And I think he’s going to be just fine.