一天晚上，妻子在廚房準備晚餐的時候，我們的小兒子拿著一張紙走向他母親。上面寫道：
洗車----------------------------5美元
本周整理我的房間----------------1美元
為你去商店--------------------0.5美元
照管小妹妹-------------------0.25美元
外出倒垃圾----------------------1美元
成績報告單獲得良好--------------5美元
打掃通道------------------------2美元
總計應得--------------------14.75美元
他母親看著他兒子滿懷希望地站在那兒等著拿錢。我能看到她腦子裡翻騰著記憶的浪花。她拿起鋼筆把兒子寫過的紙翻過來。在上面寫道：
你呆在我的腹中，我為你懷胎9月是無價的;
我陪伴著你為你求醫、為你祈禱的那些晚上是無價的;
為你準備玩具、食物、衣服甚至為你擦鼻涕，那是無價的，兒子，
你把以上所有的累加起來，我為你付出的全部的愛是無價的。
兒子讀完母親寫的話，雙眼含著豆大的淚花，他看著他的媽媽說："媽
car...........................................$5.00
for making my own bed this week...................$1.00
going to the provision shop..............................$0.50
playing with little sister ...................................$0.25
taking out the rubbish......................................$1.00
getting a good report card................................$5.00
and for sweeping the common corridor...........$2.00
total ...............................................................$14.75
his mother looked at him standing there expecting payment. i could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind. so she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote:
for 9 months i carried you, growing inside me.....................................no charge
for the nights i sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you..............no charge
for the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose............................no charge
when you add it all up, the full cost of my love...................................no charge
well, when he finished reading, he had great big tears in his eyes. he looked at his mother and said, "mummy, i love you." then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the "bill" "all paid."
媽，我愛你。"他拿出鋼筆在他的"帳單"上用大寫字母寫道："全部還清。"