The Most important Body Part

My mother used to ask me what the most important part of the body is. Through the years I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct Answer.

When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us humans, so I said, "My ears, Mommy."

She said, "No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."

Several years passed before she asked me again.
Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer.

So this time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes."

She looked at me and told me,
"You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because
there are many people who are blind."

Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years,
Mother asked me a couple more times and always her answer was,
"No. But you are getting smarter every year, my child."

Then one year, my father died. Everybody was sad and crying..
My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to my father.

She asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?"

I was shocked when she asked me this now.

I always thought this was a game between her and me.
She saw the shock on my face and told me,
This question is very important.
For every answer you gave me in the past, I told you that you were wrong.

But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson.

She looked down at me and threw her head to my shoulder and hugged me. With her eyes in tears, she said,
"My dear, the most important body part is your shoulder."

I asked, "Is it because it holds up my head?"

She replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or a loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear. I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it."