A Lesson From Bread Sticks

"I got it!" I happily said while placing one more sticker on my Book-it pin.  The year was 1980-something and I was with my family at Pizza Hut.  Our school participated in The Book-It program, where you got free pizza every time you read a certain number of hours.  I read over 500 hours that year.

I got several pizzas.

It was even more of a treat as my family of eight rarely ever went out to dinner.   There was no weekday trips to McDonald's, no weekend trips to nicer restaurants, we just ate at home, which isn't a bad thing I might add.

I enjoyed my personal pan pizza and my mom and a few of my siblings ordered a big pizza to share.  I don't know why we weren't all there together, maybe the older siblings had school activities that night.

We ate our dinner and got our bill.   "Oh they forgot to put the bread sticks on our bill" my mom said more to herself.

She went up to the cashier and told them they forgot to charge her for her bread sticks.  The girl seemed amazed that my mom had mentioned the error, especially when it was an error in my mom's favor.  My mom paid the corrected amount and we were on our way.

I don't know if my mom remembers that time, but I do.  It is one of those memories that is so vividly ingrained in my mind.  She didn't preach, or teach about being honest and integrity, she did it and lived it.  That was just who she was.

That was just one of the many lessons she taught me in life, rarely with words but always with example.

Me and my parents

Endless hours serving others, always welcoming friends into our home, always having a nice dinner ready, always attending all of my performances- even the marching band competitions 4 hours away, always so patient, always full of faith.

My mother- she taught by love and example.  So with mother's day fast approaching I write this post in honor of her, to thank her for who she was and who she is, as she helped me become the person I am today.

This is my mom's profile picture on Facebook, she and I together.  It has been her picture the entire time she has been on Facebook mostly because she doesn't know how to change it- I like to tell my siblings it is because I am her favorite 

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