The
Wooden Bowl
I guarantee you will remember the tale
of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from
now.
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, sometimes 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 making a 'living' is
not the 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 sometimes.
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.
