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 writing on, and
After wiping my hands on my apron I read it
And this is what she said.

For mowing the yard, five dollars
For making my own bed this week, one dollar
Going to the store, fifty cents
Playing with my sister while you went to the store
Twenty-five cents
Taking out the trash one dollar
Getting a good report card, five dollards
And for raking the yard, two dollars
Total of fourteen dollas and seventy-five cents.

Well, I looked at her standing there expectantly
And a found memory flashed through my mind
And so I picked up the pen and turning the paper
Over this is what I wrote.

For the nine months I carried you
Growin' inside of me no charge
For the nights I sat up with you
Doctored and prayed for you no charge
For the toys that you chose
And for wiping you nose there's no charge
When you add it all up the full cost of my love
Is no charge.

Well, when she finished reading 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.