“Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire.” Marden, Orison Swett

“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action.” Mother Teresa

“Our nature is obscured by work done by the compulsion of want or fear. The mother reveals herself in the service of her children, so our true freedom is not the freedom from action but freedom in action, which can only be attained in the work of love.” Rabindranath Tagore quotes

Eventually, people come to accept the evidence placed before them everyday. Those who truly love you, think about you, pay attention to you, because they want to. The obligatory gift, while appreciated is tarnished with the knowledge that it is compulsory. A true gift, always desired, is enhanced with the intent and thought and effort placed in the creation of the gift. I suppose that is why the home made gifts from my children continue to be a source of pleasure. They were given by those who put time, effort and thought into them. They paid attention and it showed in their choice of gift and in their expenditure of thought, time and effort. Those gifts were not just a gift to me, but a gift to themselves. It showcased the charity in their hearts. Nothing can be lovelier then a child reflecting back the devotion of a parent.

They were and always will be works of love.