FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

I bagged into a stranger as he passed by, 'Oh excuse me please' was my response.' He said, 'Please excuse me too; I couldn't see you coming.' We were very polite, this stranger and I. We said goodbye and went on our way . But at home a different story unfolds, How we treat our loved ones, young and old. Later that day, cooking the evening meal, My son stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked him down. 'Move out of the way,' I said with a frown., a little harshly. He walked away, his little heart broken. I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken. While I lay resting in bed, God's small voice came to me and said, 'While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but the family you love, you seem to abuse. Go and look on the kitchen floor, You'll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers he brought for you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue. He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.' By this time, I felt very small, And now my tears began to fall. I quietly went and knelt by his bed; Wake up, little one, wake up,' I said. Are these the flowers you picked for me?' He smiled, 'I found them, out by the tree.. I picked them because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like them, especially the blue.' I said, 'Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today; I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.' He said, 'Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway.' I said, 'Son, I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.' FAMILY Peradventure death came tomorrow,the company that we work for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it,we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family,an unwise investment indeed,don't you think? So what is the lesson behind the story? Do you know what the word FAMILY means?