Four year-old Marion West shouted and jumped for joy each noon when her mother came home from work on her lunch break.

Her mother would pick her up at the neighbour�s. They�d hurry home, eat lunch, and play together. But Marion would become hysterical when her mother left again after lunch. One day her mother stopped coming home for lunch. Marion was saddened. She wondered why her mother stopped coming. She wondered why her mother stopped eating and playing with her. She wondered if her mother still loved her as much as she once did. Years later, Marion learned that her mother still came home each noon. She sat at the kitchen window, eating her lunch and watching Marion play in the neighbour�s yard.

All the while, she longed to be with Marion. She longed to hold her close, especially when she cried. But it was for Marion�s good that she didn�t.

Looking back on it now, Marion sees why her mother stopped coming. It was indeed for her own good, for her growth and development as a mature person.