"Mom, I really need some new shoes," nagged Matthew. I'd tried to convince him to go with me to the mall last week when I was going anyway. That didn't fit into his social schedule so here I was on a Monday night heading to a nearby mall with him. I suggested we hit Kohl's first. Armed with my 15% off coupon and promise of earning Kohl's Cash, I felt we would do well to shop there. I told him to pick out two pairs of shoes (sneakers) as he tends to only wear one pair until they fall apart. Once he secured two "cool" pairs, we stopped by the candles to pick out a gift for my cousin, Marina. He sniffed a few samples and suggested Island Breeze as a winner. It amused me when he asked if I would purchase a small votive size candle for him to burn in his room. Sure, why not? Then we went downstairs to pay and stopped in the men's clothing department. I asked if he needed or wanted anything else. Since he rarely shops for clothes or personal items, I like to make this offer when we're out shopping together. He picked out a couple of shirts, one a button down shirt. He picked up some socks and declared he was done. He thanked me for buying these items for me as we walked out of the store.
Later on in the evening, he entered my bedroom. His father and I were reading in bed and Matthew stood before us. He got our attention and stated, "I'm so grateful for all the things you bought me tonight. Thank you again."
Well, I thought, perhaps there are moments of unexpected joy with a sixteen year old son who definitely has a mind of his own. Tonight, a night that began as a chore to take a son on an unplanned shopping trip turned out to be one in which unexpected gratitude was expressed and heartfelt. It was a gift. It's as simple as that.
No comments:
Post a Comment