05/05/2009 2:53 AM
Posted by Whitetigress
Views: 95
Score: 16
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 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 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.
