No charge
The little boy suddenly came up to his mother and
handed her a piece of paper when she was busy in
preparing dinner. After his mom dried her hands on
an apron, she read it:
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.
$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
After reading, his mother looked at him standing there, expectantly. She
picked up the pen, turned the paper over and wrote:
Nine months I carried you while you were inside me: No charge.
The times I’ve sat with you, doctored and prayed for you: No charge.
For all the tears that you’ve caused through the years: No charge.
For all the nights that I couldn’t sleep because of the worried I knew were
ahead: No charge.
For all the toys, food, clothes, that I gave to you through the years: there’s
No charge, son.
And when you add it all up, the full cost of real love is, No charge.
When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were great
big old tears in his eyes. He looked straight at his mother and said, “Mom, I
sure do love you.”
