The wooden bowl
My mom sent this to me and boy is it a good reminder about life. Hope you all enjoy it too.
In His Love,
Steph
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 Grandfather," 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 three
things: a rainy day, 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 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've learned that you should
pass this on to everyone you care about; I just did.