A Tribute to my Mother - Day Five

When I was younger my mom taught me the value of honest hard work. We never got an allowance; it just wasn't something that we got, nor did I expect it really. When we got home from school we had chores to do, and we did them. And if we didn't do them right the first time we would have to keep doing it until it was right. Some of the work I thought was a little excessive, like pulling all the dishes out of a cupboard and organizing it, but I can appreciate the value of honest hard work even if it isn't monetary. I remember once I was at church in a class where the lesson was about how to help children learn the importance of working hard. The ladies were all discussing motivating techniques on how to get their children to help out more around the house, and many of them were discussing allowances and paying their kids to do what I thought were simple chores, like taking out the trash, cleaning their room, cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming...etc. For a while I just listened to these women express their ideas and questions until I just couldn't really take it anymore. I raised my hand and began to share with the ladies about how my mother taught me how to work, how to work hard, and how not to expect any kind of monetary payment from it. I told them about all the different chores I had as a kid and how I was grateful for a mother who taught me how to clean and cook, and how I was able to help others in that way. The room was quiet after I was done; I think they were all thinking about how they could do that in their own home. I know everyone is different, and some of you might not agree with me on this whole subject, but honestly I think the hard work my mother taught me how to do has greatly improved my own life. Is my kitchen clean right now? Well, no, but I at least know how to do it and don't expect to get paid for it. I'm grateful my mom taught me the value of hard work.