The Mommy Blues

The year Tara turned 15 she babysat all summer and compiled quite a nest egg. Sometime in August I ordered a pizza and it turned out the pizza guy no longer accepted checks, so I asked Tara to loan me twenty dollars. When Tara told me she had no money left I asked her what she had spent it on. She proceeded to hem and haw, but would give me no solid answer. Frustrated, I got the pizza man to take my check and then proceeded to grill her about where the money went and the importance of not wasting it. 

A few weeks later we celebrated our wedding anniversary and (you are getting the drift, aren't you?) Tara presented us with a small, lightweight, beautifully wrapped box. What do you suppose was in the box? Of course, two tickets to the Moody Blues who were playing at the University of San Diego. Tara said, "Mom, that is what I spent my babysitting money on!" I am crying yet again at the retelling of this story. One, that my 15 year old was so unselfish (as she was supposed to be at that age). And two, that I still forget at times how wonderful she is and how lucky I am to have the children that I do. As I said, not my finest hour. My finest hours have been the ones spent with them.