Today I attended a School Family Education (SFE) talk. SFE sessions equips parents with effective parenting skills. Today's topic is the 4th (I think) of a 5-part talk/session. I was not able to attend the first 4 (unfortunately). The session talked about how raising boys is different from raising girls. The parent volunteer discussed issues on why boys are not as sensitive as girls are. Issues on how we should help our sons be more independent were also tackled.
Todays session is also in celebration of Mother's Day. The importance of mothers in the family was also discussed. We were reminded of what our role was in the family. But most importantly, we were reminded that we should also know how to take care of ourselves. That we also need a break once in a while. We can achieve this by sharing chores with family members. By letting our children do housework that is appropriate for their age and giving them the responsibilities at home, we are also teaching them that housework is a family responsibility, not just a mother's duty. When children are given responsibilities at home they become more aware of their role as a family member and they are more bonded to the family.
The parent volunteer in charge of the session gave out 2 very touching reading materials. I would like to share them here in my blog.
COST OF LOVE
A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his Mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said:
For cutting the grass: $5.00
For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00
For going to the store for you: $0.50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: $0.25
Taking out the garbage: $1.00
For getting a good report card: $5.00
For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00
Total owed: $14.75
Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote:
For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me: No Charge
For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you: No Charge
For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused through the years: No Charge
For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead: No Charge
For the toys, food, clothes and even wiping your nose: No Charge
Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is: NO CHARGE
When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight at his mother and said, "Mom, I sure do love you." And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: "PAID IN FULL".
Lessons:
- You will never know how much your parents are worth till you become a parent.
- Be a giver not an asker, especially with your parents. There is a lot to give, besides money.
Advice: If your mom is alive and close to you, give her a big kiss and ask her for forgiveness. If she is faraway, call her. If she passed away, pray for her.
MOTHER
Why are you crying, a young boy asked his Mom?
"Because I'm a woman," she told him.
"I don't understand," he said.
His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will, but that's ok"...
Later the little boy asked his father,
"Why does Mom seem to cry for no reason?"
"All women cry for no reason," was all his Dad could say...
The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.
Finally he put in a call to God and when God got back to him, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"
God answered....
"When I made woman, I decided she had to be special.
I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet,
made her arms gentle enough to give comfort...
I gave her the inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times will come
even from her own children.
I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going and take care of her family and friends,
even when everyone else gives up, though sickness and fatigue without complaining...
I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances.
Even when her child hurt her badly...
She has the very special power to make a child's boo-boo feel better
and to quell a teenager's anxieties and fears...
I gave her strength to care for her husband, despite faults
and I fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart...
I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife,
but sometimes tests her strengths and resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly....
For all of this hard work, I also gave her a tear to shed.
It is hers to use whenever needed and it is her only weakness...
When you see her cry, tell her how much you love her, and all she does for everyone,
and even though she may still cry, you will have made her heart feel good.
She is special!
Please send this to women you know, and those with mothers, sisters, and special women in their lives.
But also, send this to men so they will understand about what a wonderful thing a woman is.
We should let our family know that Mother's Day should not only be remembered and celebrated once a year, but throughout the year. We should let our mothers feel how important they really are in our lives.
