Pride
When is pride detrimental to ones well-being? Today I almost found out.
My mom came by our house to visit and to let me look at some of her mail and so that I could help her with completing documents for their health care. To this day when she comes over she will inevitably bring something with her… today it was donuts. She has done this ever since I’ve noticed and I’m sure she will always do this. As we talked, I asked her how she and my dad were doing. She said that my dad didn’t want to come over as he was busy doing gardening. I asked her how they were again and she said “we’re OK.” This is something that she has said to me thousands of times and to this day is her standard generic answer to when I ask her how she is. Typically, she’ll add that her foot or back hurts as well.
Well today was different. As I gave her some pictures of my family she took them and put them in her wallet. I looked and noticed that she didn’t have a dollar in her wallet. I made a comment about that and she pawned it off as she hadn’t gone to the bank yet to cash her check. I looked at her and gave her a twenty that was on the counter and this time she didn’t say like she typically does … no I don’t need that while handing it back to me. This time she folded the bill and tucked it behind the photos I just gave her. I asked her again if she was ok and as she looked at me, her eyes filled with tears. I didn’t say a thing, but I handed her a hundred dollar bill that I had set asides on the counter as well. She took that as well and gave me a hug.
The irony of this is that the hundred-dollar bill has been on the counter ever since my birthday.
My parents gave me that bill for my birthday just six months ago and now I was giving it back to them. She didn’t know that it was the same bill she gave me and I didn’t want to tell her that either. More so, they have never accepted financial help from me and I’m sure what she did today was extremely difficult for her. I’m grateful that her pride didn’t stand in her way of accepting my little offer.
Now I didn't write this so you could think of me of some sort of hero. I wrote this so that the next time you see your parents or grandparents, and ask them how they are… find out really how they are.
Their pride might be standing in their way of telling you.
My mom came by our house to visit and to let me look at some of her mail and so that I could help her with completing documents for their health care. To this day when she comes over she will inevitably bring something with her… today it was donuts. She has done this ever since I’ve noticed and I’m sure she will always do this. As we talked, I asked her how she and my dad were doing. She said that my dad didn’t want to come over as he was busy doing gardening. I asked her how they were again and she said “we’re OK.” This is something that she has said to me thousands of times and to this day is her standard generic answer to when I ask her how she is. Typically, she’ll add that her foot or back hurts as well.
Well today was different. As I gave her some pictures of my family she took them and put them in her wallet. I looked and noticed that she didn’t have a dollar in her wallet. I made a comment about that and she pawned it off as she hadn’t gone to the bank yet to cash her check. I looked at her and gave her a twenty that was on the counter and this time she didn’t say like she typically does … no I don’t need that while handing it back to me. This time she folded the bill and tucked it behind the photos I just gave her. I asked her again if she was ok and as she looked at me, her eyes filled with tears. I didn’t say a thing, but I handed her a hundred dollar bill that I had set asides on the counter as well. She took that as well and gave me a hug.
The irony of this is that the hundred-dollar bill has been on the counter ever since my birthday.
My parents gave me that bill for my birthday just six months ago and now I was giving it back to them. She didn’t know that it was the same bill she gave me and I didn’t want to tell her that either. More so, they have never accepted financial help from me and I’m sure what she did today was extremely difficult for her. I’m grateful that her pride didn’t stand in her way of accepting my little offer.
Now I didn't write this so you could think of me of some sort of hero. I wrote this so that the next time you see your parents or grandparents, and ask them how they are… find out really how they are.
Their pride might be standing in their way of telling you.
posted by Fe Man at 9:03 PM
2 Comments:
Good on you. Point taken.
Good Boy Zo-Zo.
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