"Jealousy is counting someone else's blessings rather than your own."

Tammy and Sean had been living together for about 6 months. Sean's mother had always been suspicious of the two's relationship, even though her son insisted there was nothing going on.

One day the mother decided to stop by. Her son seemed surprised but pleased she had come, and gave her a tour of the house. The mother seemed suspicious that Tammy's room was spotless, and Sean's room was very messy with (women's) clothes all over the floor. Sean assured his mother that this was because the hamper was in his room, and nothing was going on. Before they left, her son and Tammy invited her to have Thanksgiving with them. Thanksgiving came, and once again Sean assured his mother that nothing was going on.

A few days later, Tammy noticed that her tea kettle was missing. She asked Sean about it, and neither could find it. "Your mother must have taken it" Tammy insisted. Finally, Sean called his mother after it had been missing for another couple of days.

"Mom, I need to ask you a question. "

"Of course son"

"Well, our tea kettle is missing, did you place it somewhere or possibly take it?" His mother seemed hurt." Honey, I can't believe..."

"I know mom, but you were the only one here."

"No, son, " his mother said knowledgeably." I can't believe you lied to me."

"But I haven't mom" Sean protested.

"Son, if Tammy had been sleeping in her own bed, you would have found the kettle by now."

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."
- Mark Twain

A woman had a beautiful black cat with white feet, named Socks. Socks spent his days outside and came indoors only at night. One cool October evening, he disappeared.

She searched for him high and low for several days, but all in vain. The following spring, however, Socks reappeared, looking healthy and clean. She figured he'd just been out sowing his wild oats, and let it go at that.

Everything was back to normal until that autumn, when Socks once again disappeared. The next spring, just as the prior year, he returned. When it happened for the third year in a row, she became very perplexed, and decided to investigate. She started by asking her neighbors to see what, if any, information they might have.

She was down to the last house on the block, the home of an older couple. If they didn't have the answer, she wasn't sure where she would turn. So she went up and knocked on the door. The lady of the house answered, and she asked her, "By any chance, have you ever seen a black cat with 4 white feet around here?"

"A black cat?" the woman said. "With 4 white feet? Oh my, yes! He's the sweetest thing. My husband and I kept seeing him outside every fall. We hated it that the poor thing had to be out in the cold, so we decided that when we go south for the winter, we'd take him with us. He's been going to Florida with us every winter for the last few years."