No Charge

My little girl came up to me in the kitchen this evenin'

While I was fixin' supper

And she handed me a piece of paper she'd been writin' on

And after wipin' my hands on my apron

I read it, and this is what it said

For mowin' the yard, five dollars

For makin' my own bed this week, one dollar

Goin' to the store, fifty cents

Playin' with little sister, while you went to the store, twenty-five cents

Takin' out the trash, one dollar

Gettin' a good report card, five dollars

And for rakin' the yard, two dollars

Total owed, fourteen dollars and seventy-five cents

Well, I looked at her standin' there expectantly

And a thousand memories flashed through my mind

And so I picked up the pen, and turnin' the paper over

This is what I wrote

For the nine months I carried you

Growin' inside me, no charge

For the nights I've sat up with you

Doctored you, prayed for you, no charge

For the toys, food and clothes

And for wiping your nose, there's no charge

When you add it all up

The full cost of my love is no charge

Well, when she finished readin'

She had great big old tears in her eyes

And she looked up at me and said

"Mommy, I sure do love you"

Then she took the pen

And in great big letters

She wrote: "PAID IN FULL"

When you add it all up

The cost of real love is no charge