Thought 20OCT2009

ON CONFIDENCE
Our son Greg was always a shy child, especially around girls he liked. He had like Karen since Kindergarten and now in 6th grade they were "going together". This would be the first Christmas that he had ever wanted to buy a girl a gift. He asked me to go with him, and we picked out a lovely bracelet with which he was very happy. He could hardly wait to give it to her. Christmas came and Greg gave Karen the gift. He was so excited that he could say, "Karen is my girlfriend!" After Christmas break, and returning to school, Greg came in one day with a great sadness wrapped around him. I learned not to ask too many questions, so I merely made an observation about the look on his face. "You look so very sad, Greg."

He continued walking through the room, but shortly returned to the kitchen where I was preparing dinner, stating, "Karen broke up with me today." I could tell by his face that he was devastated. With a heavy heart for him, I turned to face him and merely said, "Oh my, what a loss for her." He looked at me strangely and left the room, saying nothing. I felt terrible that I did not have the words to ease my son's pain, knowing full well that there were none. But a mother is a mother! About fifteen minutes passed and Greg came back into the room with a "smirk" on his face and said, "You know, it is her loss." And off he went to make a phone call, never seeming to look back. It was at that moment that I realized that it only takes a few choice words to build the confidence needed for our children to deal with most of their trials growing up.
Georgia Delbridge, Virginia, U.S.A. Bits & Pieces: Home Delivery - Quotes from the magazine Bits & Pieces
If you wish to do a good deed, consult no one - Chinese Proverb