Nobody asks: do you love yourself? And we end up spending a good deal of our life and energy trying to please others. But what about ourselves? Jesuit Anthony Mello has a fine story on this subject.
Mother and son are at a snack-bar. After taking the mother’s order, the waitress turns to the boy:
“And what will you be wanting?”
“A hotdog.”
“Nothing of the sort,” says the mother. “He wants a steak and salad.”
“Ignoring the comment, the waitress asks the boy:”
“Do you want that with mustard or ketchup?”
“Both,” answers the boy.
And then he turns to the mother in surprise:
“Mother! She thinks that I'm for real!”