What Is The Point?

My former boss thinks his wife is the greatest mom.  Everyday she spends hours after her full time job, sitting by the side of her children to accompany them to do homework, study and practice the piano into the night.  "My wife is the best mother in the world.  She makes so many sacrifices for our kids."

Like many parents, this couple want the best for their children: They send the children to a private school and chauffeur them to music lessons, orchestra/ band practices, etc.  For a while, Aikido was also on the menu.  Clearly, they have high hopes and high expectations for their children.  The kids entered every single music competition and managed to bring home a few trophies to make mom proud.  

One Saturday afternoon, the mother started corralling her kids for music class as usual, "It's time.  Get your stuff ready and come downstairs!"  The daughter, the older of the two teenagers, dragged her feet out of her bedroom, timidly said to her mother, "Mom, I don't want to go."  

"What do you mean by your don't want to go?" the mother was stunned.

"I mean, I don't want to go, Mom." the daughter restated.

The queen of the house was not having it.  "Get yourself down here in five minutes or don't bother."  

The initially sheepish daughter was quite delighted with the choices Mother Queen offered.  She happily complied and chose the latter.  

Meanwhile, Mother Queen thought that she had successfully taught the daughter a lesson by taking away her music class privilege . . . 

The week after, Mother Queen summoned the children again for music class.  This time, the daughter simply stayed in her room.  

As departure time neared, Mother Queen knocked on the daughter's door.

Mother:  "Hey!  Aren't you coming with us?"

Daughter: "No, I'm not."

Mother:  "How can you not come?  You always attend the music classes."

Daughter:  "Of course, I can not come.  I do not always attend the music classes.  I did not go last week, for example."

Mother:  "How dare you!  Know what?  If you don't go today, you might not get to go ever again.   Think twice."

The daughter was so overjoyed.  Just like this, she managed to escape from the music classes that she had been enduring since the age of four.

Months went by.  Winter arrived.

Due to a heavy blizzard, it was a school snow day at home.  Looking at the brilliant whiteness outside the window, the daughter suddenly felt the urge to play a tune at the piano . . . 

But she hesitated.

It was because Mother Queen was home with them.

"The feeling was perfect.  I was so tempted, but I stopped myself.  I was so afraid that if my mother hears me play the piano, it may reignite her hopes for me to go back to music classes and competitions.  It is not like I do not like music or playing the instruments, but I really do not care for the excessive pressure and attention.  Why can't I just play music because I enjoy it?  But, in this house, I guess it is just not possible."

There, you have the story of the greatest mother in the world and her musically-talented children who do not dare to walk near a piano.