Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it.

One of my mom’s favorite sayings is, “Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it.” As a kid, I heard this a lot, especially when my sister and I would beg for something. We were persistent, and the more we begged, the more my mom would remind us of this proverb. The perfect example of this came when we begged for hamsters. We promised we’d take care of them, so eventually, after much convincing, my parents took us to the pet store to pick out our new furry friends.

I chose the tiniest, cutest dwarf hamster I could find. It was so small and adorable, I thought it would be the perfect pet. My sister, on the other hand, went for the big fluffy one. We brought them home, excited at first, but things quickly took a turn. My hamster, who I had hoped would be my cuddly companion, would bite me every time I tried to touch it. Meanwhile, my sister’s hamster gave birth to eight tiny hamsters, a total disaster. Suddenly, we had a whole army of hamsters to take care of, and neither of us was ready for the responsibility.

Of course, we quickly regretted our decision. Cleaning the hamster cages became a dreaded chore, only hoping it would end. But my mom, ever wise, reminded us that we had made a commitment when we asked for them. No matter how much we complained, we were stuck taking care of them. In hindsight, it was a great lesson in responsibility–and a perfect example of my mom’s saying. It taught me that sometimes, getting exactly what you ask for isn’t as great as it seems.