Their very individuality makes it impossible to measure feelings I have towards one against the other. Rather than compare her two son's, the mother in this story recognizes and praises each child's strengths. Who they are, not what the do or how they do it, is reason enough to gain this mother's love. This is a wonderful lesson. Behavior is not reason enough to love someone.
People are imperfect, and make mistakes.
We may be disappointed or angry at the behavior, but love for the child remains constant. By knowing they are worthy and deserving of love and respect, a child grows with strong sense of self-esteem and pride. They realize mistakes are part of the learning process. They look for lessons from which to grow, rather than opportunities for self-criticism and loathing. One of the best gifts we can give our children is to do away with labels such as 'good', 'bad', 'naughty' and 'nice'.