The Lost Opportunity

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