Early one morning, little LYLY woke up with a big smile on her face. She could already smell the delicious breakfast her mother had prepared in the kitchen. There were sweet bananas, fresh fruit, and LYLY’s favorite warm treats waiting on the table.
“Mom, can we eat now?” LYLY asked, rubbing her tiny tummy.
Her mother smiled gently. “Not yet, sweetheart. First, Mom needs to light the incense at the family altar.”
LYLY nodded, but as soon as her mother walked away, her stomach made a loud noise.
“Grrrrowl!”
LYLY looked down at her tummy in surprise. “Oh no! I’m so hungry!”
She climbed onto her chair and stared at the food. Everything looked so delicious. She waited for a few minutes, but to LYLY, it felt like hours.
“Mom, are you finished yet?” she called.
“Just a little longer, LYLY,” her mother answered softly.
LYLY sighed and rested her chin on the table. She tried to be patient, but waiting was becoming more and more difficult. She counted the bananas. Then she counted the plates. After that, she counted the flowers near the altar.
Still, her mother was not finished.
LYLY’s little tummy growled again.
This time, LYLY slowly reached one tiny hand toward a banana. She was just about to grab it when her mother turned around.
“LYLY!” Mom said.
LYLY quickly pulled her hand back and gave an innocent smile.
“I wasn’t taking it,” she whispered. “I was only saying hello to the banana!”
Her mother couldn’t stop laughing.
Finally, Mom finished lighting the incense and came back to the table. “Thank you for waiting, even though I know you were very hungry.”
LYLY jumped with excitement. “Can we eat now?”
“Yes, sweetheart!”
LYLY happily picked up her breakfast and took a big bite. Her eyes immediately lit up.
“Mmm! It was worth waiting for!”
Mom sat beside her and gently hugged her. LYLY smiled and said, “Next time, Mom, can you light the incense a little faster? My tummy doesn’t know how to wait!”
They both burst out laughing and enjoyed their breakfast together. From that day on, LYLY learned that being patient could be difficult—but sometimes, a delicious meal and a happy moment with Mom made the wait worthwhile.
