My name is Emma Marie and I would like to tell you a story that happened to me the other day. It was right after breakfast when I was all through my chores, and my mother said that I could go out and join my brothers playing in the sand box. It was a big deal for me as long as I promised NOT to mess up their roads and bridges that they had worked so hard to build. I had to be VERY careful walking around in the sand or I was OUT of there. You see, my brothers had built a replica of our town with its two major highways, railroad tracks, town municipal buildings, three churches, a fire house, a gas station, a garage, a grocery store, the library and two schools. Believe me, they guarded their work diligently.
In the meantime, my mother was in the house and had decided to clean out her jewelry case. If I had known what she was going to do, I would have been right there with her. I loved her jewelry. She had many beautiful rings, necklaces and bracelets and I liked trying them all on. My mother had promised me that one day, she would surprise me and give to me one of her very special rings. There was one small ring in particular that just fitted my finger and oh how much I wanted it!
In middle of the morning, my mother called to me and said, "Emma, please come here right now!" I was having such a great time playing with my brothers I didn't want to leave, so I pretended that I didn't hear her. Have you ever done a thing like that? My mother called again and I still didn't obey her. I continued ignoring her and kept playing.
Later, when I went in for lunch, I thought she was going to correct me, but instead she told me to go upstairs and wait in her bedroom. When she came upstairs, I didn't know what to expect. I just sat quietly as she went over to the jewelry box, opened it and took out the very ring I wanted so badly. The anticipation that this might be the time she was going to give me the ring really excited me. She held the ring in the palm of her hand and said,""Emma Marie, this morning when I called you to come to me, I wanted so much to give you this ring today, but when you didn't come , I decided that you were still too young and not responsible enough to care for it, so I am going to keep it a little while longer."
I felt so bad. I started to cry, " Please mommy, can't I please have it? She meant what she said and sent me to my room to think about it. There is only one thing that I thought about for all the time that I was in my room. I had lost a great opportunity to have the ring I always wanted, because I didn't listen and obey my mother. I hope this never happens to you
Do you know what a little gimme bug is? They are not very nice friends. They want everything for themselves., Gimme this, gimme that! They grab, they push, they pull to get their own way. I know YOU don't want to be like that! Gimme bugs are the hardest little people to be around. You don't want to play with them.
Once I was at the house of one of my little friends and I was so surprised. I met two little gimme bugs. I wish you could have heard them. While we were eating at the dinner table, the little boy said, "gimme the potatoes." He never said please or thank you. The little girl was not much better. She said, "Gimme a glass of water and grabbed for her brother's glass of water and spilled it all over the table." I was shocked. I thought to myself, "where are their manners?" I knew that their parents had taught them good manners, but that they just didn't want to listen and obey. These two gimme bugs also weren't very kind to each other.
After dinner, one of the gimme bugs wanted to show me how he had just learned to ride a bike. The other gimme bug also wanted to show me how she could ride too and started to pull her little brother off his bike. Gimme bugs have to have all the attention and can't share anything. I don't think they even liked each other.
No matter how hard the parents tried to correct their selfish behavior, nothing worked. I guess the two gimme bugs were going to learn the hard way. The very next week, there was a birthday party in the neighborhood. The invitations were sent out to all, except for the two gimme bugs. I felt so sorry for them. The children told me that they didn't want any gimme bugs spoiling their party. At first the two gimme bugs said that they didn't care and stayed to themselves, until there was a slumber party, the pool party, the trip to the zoo,and another birthday party and NO INVITATION. The two gimme bugs weren't invited anywhere. How sad it was for them.
Do you know any gimme bugs in your house or neighborhood? I hope you don't. I really need your help, and I was wondering if you might have some ideas for me? I think the gimme bugs are both beginning to see that they have a BIG problem with SELFISHNESS. How can I help them change? I bet your mommy and daddy have some great ideas you can share with me.
