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Haddon Robinson told a story of a mother and her son. The father died when the boy was young. This was back before television, when folks spent evenings listening to the radio or reading to one another. They both enjoyed listening to good music. In his early twenties, he met a young woman at the church, fell in love with her, and they decided to be married. Since housing was difficult to find, the mother said, "We have a two-story house. I can make an apartment for myself in the second story. You and your bride can live in the first story. The only thing I ask is that we get a chance to spend some time together because I'm going to miss the reading and the music." Her son said, "Mother, you can be sure of that. It's important to me, too." The couple married. For a while, life continued with the son stopping by a couple of times a week to spend some time with his mom. He was busy, and eventually days and weeks went by between visits. The relationship was not what it had been. On the mother's birthday, the young man bought a lovely dress, brought it to her, and said, "Happy birthday, Mother." She opened the package and looked at the dress. "Oh, Son, thank you. I appreciate so much what you've done." He said, "Mother, you don't like it." She said, "Oh, yes, I do. It's my color. Thank you." He said, "Mother, I have the sales slip. They tell me I can take it back." She said, "No, it is a lovely dress." He said, "Mother, you don't fool me. We've been together too long. What's wrong?" The woman turned and opened her closet. She said, "Son, I have enough dresses there to last me for the rest of my life. I guess all I want to say is that I don't want your dress. I want you." Robinson added, “With all of our busyness, we better SIMPLIFY OUR LIVES, because God doesn't want your life as much as he wants you.” (Haddon Robinson, "Don't Just Do Something, Sit There")

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