Parents and the wooden bowl

[Henia 11]

Sister this was sent to me and i thought i would share this with you, we must remember we need to respect our elderly parents.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and

four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was

blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table.

But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating

difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the

glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do

something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk,

noisy eating, and food on the floor."

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There,

Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since

Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl!

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear

in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him

were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood

scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just

as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and

Mama to eat your food in when I grow up."

The four-year-old smiled and went back to work .

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears

started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew

what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to

the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the

family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any

longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

=========

On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it

seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she

handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled

Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll

miss them when they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the e same thing as making a

"life.."

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on

both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you

focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing

the very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually

make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a

friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.!

I have learned to pass this on to everyone you care about.

I just did.

[a1angied 0]

Wow I got this same one yesterday and shared it also as it really hits home. It is great when the simplicity of children bring thigns to life.