Things are not what Christmas is all about, but gifts are. On Christmas Eve my 19 year old son told me he had a gift he wanted to give me that night. He proudly handed me one sheet of paper. On that paper was the receipt for the current payment on his credit card bill. He quietly said, "Look at the balance, Mom." Zero. Debt free.
Some of you may remember when we first found out about the financial mess he had created for himself. It was tough for us to know what to do, tougher for him to have to do it. Though we could support him, he had to do it on his own. He did. He gave me a gift, but gave himself the gifts of responsibility, accountability, hard work, persistence, delayed gratification and integrity. That's quite a pile of gifts for a young man. He has much more to learn, but he's well on his way.
He asked me not to bug him about money for a year.
Note to Ben: I'm a mother...this is an impossible request. You are starting to save, right?
Another gift...sunset from the porch of our country place.
40 comments:
Now that's the kind of gift we like to get as parents! Lovely sunset!
yes, I think it was the most lovely & unforgettable gift from a son to a mother :)
ok, well, I had to chase down those posts to know what was going on.
What a wonderful present to all concerned.
To the Momma Bear who frothed at the mouth over the bloodsucking fiend-bank....they probably DID look at his credit. Issuing folks cards with limits that they cannot afford is SOP for banks....which is how we've wound up bailing out the 2 biggest lending institutions in the country. Just makes you Proud to be an American doesn't it??
To the young man who dug himself out from under a mound of poop that many Americans seem stuck in...JOB WELL DONE! Move forward with a bit more savvy. Your determination and drive is what makes America great.
YAY! I went back and read the story! He did it!! Well done all af you :) That must have been a great present to recieve. Hopefully he has learned to make smarter choices now! And seriously,something should be done to change the credit card companies' ability to issue credit cards to teenagers!
That's so great! The sunset is beautiful :)
Some kids need to learn their lessons the hard way. The best thing is when the lessons are actually LEARNED! Good for him.
what a great gift! And well done to him too!
Those are incredible gifts ....for all of you..and yes I well remember the pain you felt. Maybe there was a reason for all that you have gone through with job security this past year or so...you know he has seen that true contentment does not come from those things he has bought on that credit card or even from a top high flying career...he sees what his mother and father have and that is love and respect and humility. Well done Jacquie and a very Happy New Year to you and all you love.
you must be so proud of him. hope that 2009 brings you many more moments like that.
What a wonderful gift from your son! I think you must be really getting through to him or he wouldn't have even thought debt was a problem....after all....most American's don't.
Have a very happy new year!
I am thrilled for you. Such a triumph for your son and a true joy for you as well! I salute his integrity in taking the tough road to resolve this when I know there were other less honorable solutions. It says a lot about his character and about his upbringing. You both have every right to be very proud.
I am so thrilled for you and your son!!!! What a great gift to receive.
Kris
How terrific! What a relief for both of you! That is one of the best feelings in the world to be debt free. Good for him.
What a gift; one you will treasure always!
I am sure you could not be more proud of your son! that is really neat.
That child is his mother's son. How wonderful that he knew just the gift to give you. I am so impressed with him and with you. You played it right, mom. Wish I had a daughter that age your son could marry - he is going to be a fine man. Well done!
I remember that whole saga. So glad he did something positive about it! Yay for him! I bet you are just so pleased:)I can only imagine how happy he was to give you that sheet of paper as a Christmas Eve gift.
What a great way to start the new year -- debt-free!
Sounds like you've given him some good tools to get into adulthood...not just fish, as it were. Good going, Mom! :)
It is so wonderful to see them grow up and be responsible. That is the best gift you could get.
I love the sunset picture, just beautiful.
Oh wow! You must be so proud of your son.
I hope I can be half as good as you when my kids enter the teen age stage.
There could be no better gift than one from the heart, way to go proud momma
That is the best gift a mom could get! It will also be the one you remember above all others. Wonderful!
What a great gift! Congratulations on your son becoming debt free :)
What a wonderful gift! You must be so proud - and I hope he is proud of himself, too. Here's to a debt free 2009!
I totally remember that post - it was the first one I read on your blog. I thought the judgement was so unfair. How wonderful to see you and your family come out the other side of this problem. That is what life is about - learning from mistakes. And we ALL make them - some kind or another. Some people are better than others at money and then others are better at other life problems. No judgement. Good for your son. What a great kid.
An amazing gift. How wonderful for both of you!
Both very lovely gifts. Happy New Year!
That is a great gift! Bugging and nagging is a mother's right. Wait until my little is older. :-)
That's wonderful.
Wonderful! It goes to prove what a great job you did raising this child.
Congratulations to your son, such a hard thing for him to accomplish, I'm sure.
What a stunning photo...
That's quite an accomplishment for your son. The photo of the sunset is quite nice.
Gorgeous sunset!
Cheers to you for being a loving, patient Mom! Hurray for zero balances!
what a fantastic gift!
Wow! Your son has given himself a gift he'll remember for a lifetime. What a strong kid. Good for you, mom!
That is a very wonderful gift! Good for him!
The best gift to start a new year with!!
Hugs))
That is an amazing gift and I do remember when you first posted about it and the grief some people gave you about his "irresponsibility." All kids make mistakes and I am sure you helped him to learn so much from this experience. What an accomplishment for a young man!
That is an awesome pile of gifts! You must be very proud of him, and frankly I'm impressed with how you handled this. I know how hard it is to sit back and let your kids figure out something for themselves! Great post!
I loved reading your dialog. Like you, I started quilting with earnest a couple of years ago. I had to retrain my garment sewing skills into quilting. I'm a retired art teacher and would love to do more free, improv designs but I find myself trying to please my family and friends with more traditional quilts. I's inspired by you to experiment more. My most recent quilt was made for the American Museum of Ceramic Art, http://www.ceramicmuseum.org./ and I think you would find it interesting.
Post a Comment