Value of Mother

The little boy came into the kitchen one evening while the mother was
fixing supper, and he handed over a piece of paper he'd been writing
on. After wiping her hands on the apron, the mother read it,
and this was what it said:

For mowing the grass,$5.
For making my own bed this week,$1.
For going to the store,$1.
For playing with baby brother while you went shopping,$1.
For taking out the trash,$1.
For getting a good report card,$5.
And for raking the yard,$2.

The mother looked at him standing there expectantly, and a
thousand memories flashed through her mind. She picked up
the paper, and turning it over, wrote:

For the nine months I carried you , growing inside me, No charge.
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored you, prayed for you , No charge.
For the time and the tears, and the cost through the years, No charge.
For the nights filled with dread, and the worries ahead, No charge.
For the advice and the knowledge, and the cost of your college, No charge.
For the toys , food and clothes, and for wiping your nose, No charge.
Son, when you add it all up, the full cost of my love is No charge.

When the child finished reading, he had great big tears in his eyes.
He looked up at his mother and said, "Mama , I sure do love you."
Then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote :