When the kids just don't get it

A Friend of mine was telling me in an email about this great Mass that she had planned to take her family to and how it's a teaching Mass and is such a great opportunty for her family and how her son, being a typical teenager, doesn't really want to go. He doesn't see the value in it and that is weighing on this poor mother's heart. Here's my response to her via email. I hope it helps you as well. Sometimes I think the hardest thing in life is striving so hard to give our children these opportunities and having them be completely uninterested and unable to see the value in what we are showing or offering them. Today, Bill needed some of the boys to go with him to load his trailer with firewood that was given to us. It's a huge gift that will save us a ton of money in heating cost. Of course the boys are just beside themselves that they will not get paid money to do the job. They just don't get it. At first I was angry with them, but Bill told me,"Don't worry, someday they'll remember these times and feel sorrow for their selfish thoughts and they will have learned from the experience." I know he's right. When I was young my mom was single and worked constantly to pay the rent and put food on the table. I had a summer babysitting job making $150 cash every week. Did I ever once stop to think about how hard my mom was working or how much she was struggling? Did I ever offer to help with the rent, food, or even to buy my own school clothes? No. I spent my money buying pizza for myself and all of my friends, and gifts for people to try to make them like me. I look back on those days now and I feel sad that I didn't see my mother's needs and try to help her. My mom never approached me for help, but I wonder how I would have responded had she asked me. I honestly don't know. What I do know is that as a mom, I see everything as a grown up and I sometimes forget that these kids are all still just kids, even the big ones. Does it excuse them for their behavior? No. But what it does do is give me hope that the constant struggle is worth it. Although they may kick and scream and we often feel like throwing in the towel, we just can't give up. We must press on for our children! Fear not Mamas. We will rest in Heaven when our work is done!!