And, the morale of the story is... a Mother's Day lesson

So, I came up with an idea and I have no idea how many posts I will make using this title, but the concept is that everyday life lessons have a morale, or a lesson to learn from otherwise mundane, common, ordinary life events. So, let me introduce:

And, the morale of the story is...

Sunday was Mother's Day. Usually, my only wish for the day is to eat Chinese food and to be left alone. Kind of an ironic request since I dreamed of being surrounded by babies, and I see raising them as my Christian mission. But, every mom needs at least a few minutes alone once a year, right?

But, this year was different. I didn't want that time alone. I didn't feel a need for that. So, I sat back as my middle child announced she was going to give me my other only desire - a private chef for the day.

She presented me with a menu and went about not only cooking 3 healthy meals but also catching up on dishes AND laundry for the day.

The food was delicious, but about midway through the afternoon I began to feel slightly guilty that I wasn't lifting a finger to help. But, this was her gift to me, so I let it go. Watching her work tirelessly made me realize that a mother's job really is endless.

She even compensated for my two picky eaters in the family and made sure they were fed.

As my husband and I sat back and watched her work, we were once again assured of the fact that this one is going to be ok in the world. She was born with wings and one foot out of the door ready to be independent. She was an easy baby and never required or even wanted a lot of hands-on parenting. She was my only baby who slept through the night on her own, and this happened just days after bringing her home from the hospital after birth. She was easy to raise and is by far my easiest student to homeschool.

So, now for the morale - I could sit back and think I played a huge role in this child's life and I could take all of the credit for how wonderful she is and how giving she was on Mother's Day. But, I know the truth. The truth is that I had very little to do with the way she is turning out. I could take the credit, or I could take the blame for any failures she encounters. But, the truth is - God created her and gave her the traits she has, and God will lead her through her life.