|
“Katie, it’s time for
dinner.” Bill called from the bottom of the stairs.
No answer.
“Katie, we’re
waiting.” I added a few minutes later.
Still no answer.
“Katie!”
The bedroom door
opened and my eight-year-old emerged. “I was working on your Mother’s
Day present.” she explained.
Ever since my
daughters learned that Mother’s Day was less than a week away, they have been
ignoring their chores, refusing to come when I call, and fighting about whose
homemade gift will be the nicest.
By Wednesday evening,
I'd had enough. “Stop making me gifts." I said
slowly, trying to contain my frustration. "I don't want any gifts. I just want my daughters to come when I
call their names and to keep their rooms clean.”
As I continued to
lecture, Hollie climbed the ladder of her bunk bed.
When I noticed that she was crying on the top bunk with her back turned to me, I came to my senses and
apologized.
"I just wanted your
day to be special." Hollie said through her sobs.
"Will you forgive me,
Hollie?" I asked as I put my arm around her little shoulders.
Hollie nodded as she
wiped away tears.
What’s wrong with
me? I wondered as I descended the stairs after tucking my daughters into bed. Why can’t I get
excited about what the girls are planning for Mother’s Day?
Maybe because I
didn’t ask for it. I thought reluctantly, not wanting to admit
that my main problem with their behavior, was that it reminded me of my own. In
an ironic twist of fate, I was getting a taste of what I had been dishing out
for years: how it feels when family members spend so much time doing things for
you, that they have no time to do anything with you.
How many times have I
been guilty of ignoring the girls to prepare for the next birthday party or holiday? The
thought of counting them made me grab, not a calculator, but the remote
control.
Seeking solace, I
slid the movie Ice Princess into the DVD player to watch the final scene where
the main character, Casey Carlyle, skates to the song Reachin’ For Heaven
by Diana DeGarmo.
I wish there were
no mistakes. I thought to myself as I watched her fall on the ice during
the long program. Then there would be no need for regret. I added when
Casey's mom walked up after her performance to
apologize for not supporting her daughter's dream to skate.
|
