An art teacher at a local elementary school was running low on supplies, but she knew Mother’s Day was right around the corner. She used money from her personal paycheck to purchase supplies so her students could make their mother a Mother’s day card.
She never knew the impact her kind-unseen-gesture would play…
A very poor little girl arrived home so excited to give her mom the only gift she could give- a homemade Mother’s Day card! Since her mom was a single mom, the little girl could not turn to her daddy to help with purchasing a real gift.
When her mom received the homemade card from her loving daughter, she cried as she held her daughter tightly and gave her an extra long hug. The little girl said, “Mommy, I love you so don’t cry, Mommy”…this only made the mom cry more because of the sweet kind words that came from her young daughter’s mouth….(kids have that gift!)
A day or so passed and the mom and her daughter went to the library because the mom wanted to look some information up. While on the library computer, she pulled up Facebook to contact a co-worker via messenger…as she scrolled, she noticed “BRAG POST” after “BRAG POST” of all the Mother’s Day gifts that were given to other mothers. Gifts like jewelry, tons of flowers, candy, gift cards, a new puppy dog, and on and on.
She immediately got off the Facebook site because she did not want these “BRAG POSTS” to steal the joy she felt when she received her mother’s day gift- the homemade card!
That evening a lady came by to pick her daughter up to go swimming. When she entered their small home, the lady noticed something…when she walked into the kitchen, she noticed the homemade Mother’s day card gently placed in a vase and proudly displayed on the center of their tiny table.
The lady asked, “What did your daughter get you for Mother’s day?” The mom pointed toward the table and as she smiled and said, “Well, she got me this beautiful card. It is the most beautiful gift because she made it for me. And, the best gift she gave me actually came from God and that gift is allowing me to spend another Mother’s day with her and hear her say ‘Mommy’ for another day.”
The lady was eager to show off her new diamond ring, but immediately put her finger down. Being so materialistic, she answered as she felt awkward, “Oh, that is all? Well, that is lovely.”
The mom looked at her and said, “Yes, that is all and that is enough.”
Can we answer the same way? Is it enough just to have a child say “Mom” this Mother’s Day OR does it mean more to you to share your “BRAG POST” hoping to outdo the other mother and make you feel like somehow your mothering skills are better than a mother doing her best with what she has….
MAYBE this Mother’s Day if you struggle with jealousy or trying to be super Mom, then stay off social media …give yourself a week break…be grateful for anything your child chooses to give you…
but we do love seeing the homemade gifts!
The best part of the story….
So years passed and the little girls dreams came true…she became an Art teacher because she wanted to help another child who only may be able to give a “homemade card” to their mother too!….
Kindness trickles so let it trickle on you….
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