And then this mommy went home and read her kids the story of the ant and the grasshopper.

I remember being told about a mother who gave her son and daughter each their own pack of gum. The little boy plowed through his gum, throwing a piece out as soon as the sugar was gone and eating another one. The little girl was more conservative -- she ate one piece and saved the rest for another time.

Later in the day, the boy saw that the girl still had some gum, and since his was gone, asked for a piece. She said no, so the boy went to his mother and complained that his sister wasn't sharing. Mom, ignoring her daughter's protests, insisted that the girl "learn to share with her brother" and give him some of her gum.

There are two lessons here. One, live life for today because if you save up for tomorrow your brother will just take it from you. And two, Mom is more interested in not having to hear her son whine than she is in doing what's right.