The Wooden Bowl
If you have heard this before you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl~
If you have not heard this before you will remember 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 six things~
A rainy day~ children~ animals~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 nee d 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~
