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, 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 woodscraps
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 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 table cloth
soiled.
Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever
observe, their ears
ever listen, and their minds ever process the
messages they absorb. If they
see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for
family members, they
will imitate that attitude for the rest of their
lives. The wise parent
realizes that every day the building blocks are
being laid for
the child's future.
Let's be wise builders and role models.
Lord,we ask not that you move the mountains, but
that You give us the
strength to climb. Life is about people connecting
with people, and
making a positive difference. Take care of yourself,
and those
you love, ...today,and everyday!