Well, there is nothing I can do about it now. My 6-year-old son put me to shame when it came to my wife Candace’s birthday.

Candace celebrated her birthday Tuesday, and when I told my son Dominick about the big day, he seemed ready to please.

I just didn’t realize how ready he was.

My Tuesday work day lasted a little longer than usual because of a St. James Parish School Board meeting that ran past 7 p.m., providing Dominick with plenty of time to upstage his old man.

By 5:59 p.m. that evening, the damage (read: loving gesture) was done.

The following is a text I received from Candace right before the school board meeting was set to begin.

“We have the sweetest most loving little man ever. I went to take my shower. When I got out, he had got (4-year-old sister) Mallory in the shower, bathed her and washed her hair. I said ‘why did you do that?’ He said, ‘I didn’t want you to do all that work on your birthday.’ Love him so much.”

She posted something similar on her Facebook page, and the responses were to be expected:

• Awwww. Kudos to Dom.

• Happy birthday! U do have the best son, he’s awesome!!

• Happy birthday. And you do have the most awesome son. Good Job mama.

My little buddy definitely won the prize of sweetest birthday present this year.

Somehow my card and blanket gift pack, along with a night out in our near future, couldn’t compete. Nor should it.

I have often taken pride in my gift-giving ability, long holding the belief that cards written from the heart carry more weight than what some generic Hallmark writer can come up with for the masses. However, one should never underestimate the goodwill and sheer love that can be transferred with a genuine act of kindness.

In doing so Tuesday night, Dominick provided his mother — and to an extent me — a true act of love and a few extra minutes of rest that didn’t have to be spent attending to the youngest member of our family, Mallory.

Not to be lost in the act was what Dominick gave up to help his little sister.

As many people know, this week is Shark Week on Discovery Channel. Dominick has been waiting for the shows, which started airing Sunday, for most of the summer.

Considering school started this month, pushing his bedtime to 8 p.m., there are precious few hours in the evening to watch TV because homework, baths, dinner and family time already occupy the night’s available minutes.

He’s basically got enough time to watch one television program an evening, and because he took time to help out his sister Tuesday, he gave up that privilege so his mom could have an easier load.

I was beyond impressed with him and certainly let him know what a thoughtful thing he did when I got home Tuesday.

Needless to say, he deserved a reward, so Candace and I cut him some slack.

We let him stay up to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, which gave us just enough time after I got home to watch a show we taped from Shark Week.

I’m not sure it’s how either Candace or I would have ever imagined it 10 years ago, but it seemed like the perfect ending to any birthday night: husband and wife nestled on the couch with daughter and son snug in between while we all watch “Shark Week: In Search of Colossus.” Who knew there was uniting power in bath time and Great White Sharks.

Stephen Hemelt is general manager and editor of L’OBSERVATEUR. He can be reached at 985-652-9545 or stephen.hemelt@lobservateur.com.