The last few weeks have been hard, with the inflation getting worse and the cold weather starting to get to us. So, I wasn’t surprised when my mother called and told me that due to all the troubles in the world, Christmas was going to be pretty lean this year and that she may not be able to send me as much as she usually does. Being the optimist l am, I said, “Don’t worry, Mom, it’ll be alright. It’s times like this that we all have to cut back.”
I’ll admit it did bother me a great deal for a couple of days; I mean, C’mon, this was my own Mother. I come from a large family, and we have been through some tough times in the past, but she always ensured there was enough to go around. She should realize how much I depended on the full amount. Times are tough for everybody, and if you can’t rely on your Mother, there has got to be something really wrong.
I felt a little guilty on Christmas morning when I grabbed the envelope that was lying under the tree. It had always been there in the past. I should just be happy with what I’ve got. But I still couldn’t believe that my Mom would have to cut back this year. I was so bothered that I couldn’t sit down. I fumbled with the envelope as I ripped off the end. Still not believing that she would let me down. No matter how bad things got, there was no way she would not send the full amount. Not if she knew how much it meant to me.
I shook the envelope, and some pieces of paper fell out. There was a card that looked like my Mother made herself to save a few pennies. I quickly bent down and picked up that valuable piece of paper to see if it was true, to see if she had to cut back, and if things were really as bad as she said. When I saw the amount, I smiled. I knew she wouldn’t let me down. I knew she would send me the full amount. She always does. Written across the bottom of the card she had made it read, “ALL My Love, Mom.”