Author Unknown
A frail old man lived with his son, his
daughter-in-law, and his four-year-old grandson. His eyes were blurry, his
hands trembled, and his step faltered.
The family would eat together every night
at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing
sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon, drooping to the
floor. When he grasped his glass of milk, it often spilled clumsily at the
tablecloth.
With this happening almost every night, 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 milk spilling,
noisy eating and food on the floor," the daughter-in-law agreed.
So the couple set a small table at the
corner.
There, grandfather ate alone while the rest
of the family enjoyed their dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had
broken a dish or two, his food was served in wooden bowls. Sometimes when the
family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate
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 replied,
"Oh, I'm making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when
I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
These words so struck the parents that they
were speechless. Then tears streamed down their cheeks. Though no words were
spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening, the husband took father's
hand and gently led him back to the family table.
For the remainder of his days, grandfather
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 was spilled or the
table cloth was soiled.
Parents are the most precious gift of God
for humans. They play an important role in our mental, physical, social,
financial and career development. We took our first steps by holding their
fingers. All parents keep their children’s happiness and needs above
their own. We may feel that our parents need us, but the reality is, we need
them and we will not be able to make it without them. They are the pillars of
support in the mansion of our lives. Let us remind ourselves that only if we
love & respect our parents, our kids will reciprocate the same feeling to us.
