It was a torment
that was
repeated every
day at the time
of doing her
homework: it was
math, reading a
book, the
multiplication
tables.
|
Carla hated all
of it and was
always
grudgingly that
she sat at the
table to do her
homework.
Her kind mother
tried to advise
her:
- Carla, my
dear, everything
we do willingly
weighs less.
Seize the
opportunity to
learn and accept
what must be
done, with good
disposition and
cheerfully.
But she
answered,
grumpily:
- I do not like
doing
multiplication
tables or math.
None of it. I
hate studying. |
 |
- But it is
necessary, my
dear. There are
things that we
can’t escape
from, and the
sooner we accept
them, the
better.
However, the
difficulty
persisted. On
one occasion,
Carla was very
angry because
she had to read
a history book
as that day’s
homework.
With the book in
hands, the girl
cried, kicked,
and could not
read.
Her mother, who
was watching
from afar and
saw that in that
condition her
daughter could
not do her
homework, said:
- All right,
Carla. If you do
not want to do
your homework
now, go do
something else.
You can finish
reading the book
later. Go sweep
the backyard for
me.
- That’s great,
Mom! Phew! What
a nasty thing
having to read
history. I
rather sweep the
backyard.
Then, all
satisfied, Carla
grabbed a broom
and went to the
backyard which
was full of dry
leaves.
It was very
windy that day
and Carla’s joy
soon ended. As
much as she
tried, she could
not finish the
job. The wind
would blow the
leaves around
again. She tried
and tried but
failed.
Then, very
unhappy, she
went inside
complaining:
- Darn it! The
wind will not
let me clean the
yard! I give up.
Her mother, more
experienced,
pondered:
- It's just a
matter of
knowing how to
deal with the
problem, honey.
We must accept
the obstacles
that life
imposes us and
learn how to
overcome them
with good will
and contentment.
Would you like
to see it? Come,
I'll show you.
 |
She took the
girl to the back
yard and showed
her that, since
she could not
beat the wind,
she should use
it to her
advantage.
- How? - the
girl asked,
surprised.
- It's simple.
Instead of
sweeping against
the wind, sweep
downwind - her
mother
explained.
And so Carla
did. Soon she
realized that
the task had
become easy,
pleasant and
quickly
completed.
Gathering the
leaves in a
corner, the girl
collected them
with a shovel.
|
|
When she
finished the
job, the girl
wiped her hands,
exclaiming
satisfied: |
- Wow! Mom, I
can’t believe
it! That was
easy. You are a
genius!
The mother
smiled pleased,
adding:
- Not really,
dear. I'm just a
more experienced
person who has
learned that
it's not worth
it going against
the problems of
life. We have to
face them with
courage and
determination.
Escaping from
difficult
situations will
not help us
solve them. If
we have good
will, we might
solve any
problems in our
lives.
She paused and
concluded:
- Most of the
time, things are
not as bad as we
perceive them to
be. A lot
depends on the
way we look at
them.
Carla remembered
the homework
that she had
failed to do and
thought that her
mother was right.
With a little
goodwill she
could do it.
Quietly, she
once more took
the book of
history and sat
down to read it.
Gradually she
became
interested in
the subject and,
before long, she
was done.
She closed the
book and ran to
tell her mother:
- I finished
reading the
book, Mom. You
know, it was not
that hard. On
the contrary,
the story was
actually very
interesting! You
were right, with
a bad
disposition we
will achieve
nothing.
The mother
hugged her
daughter, happy,
thanking God as
she saw that her
daughter had
learned the
lesson.
Aunt Celia
