Old but powerful message...
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and 4 yr
old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred,
and his step faltered.
The family ate together every night 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, regardless of your relationship with your parents,
you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
Written by Vijay Israni
