But I worked so hard...

That is such a relative phrase.

Imagine my thoughts when I walk outside on the porch to see the leaves of the Lamb's Ear plant "I worked so hard" to transplant picked off and laying on the deck. These plants have moved with me from our first town home. I planted one in the flower bed out back. It grew and grew so I dug it up divided it and moved it to our next home. They grew and grew, so again I divided them up and took them with us to our current house. I have been working so hard to keep these plants alive. For some reason they haven't liked the soil here and haven't been as easy to keep going. I have lost several but this one... well... it was doing so well. "It was working so hard".

Now this is all that remains...
Me: "Pierson what have you done?"
Pierson: "I worked so hard making you a 'salad' for our picnic. Isn't it awesome?"
Me: Shoulders drop. Heavy sigh. "Yes Honey it is wonderful"

Obviously he could see the disappointment on my face.
Pierson: "What Mommy?"
Me: "Well Buddy, Mommy worked really hard to get that plant to grow there. Now it is all gone."
Pierson: "It's OK Mommy. We'll put it back together again."

And so he tried.

It may have been futile, but he tried. He stuck those leaves back in the ground as best as he could.

Then he got water to "Help them grow even more".

He worked so hard.

He watered those plants several days in a row to no avail. 

I was proud of my success in growing Lamb's Ear. He saw something else.

He was proud of his salad. I was... frustrated.  

Lesson learned: The phrase " but I worked so hard" is only relative to the one who did the work.