THE
WOODEN BOWL
A
frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year
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, 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 from 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. Neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was
dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
Keith and Marnie
Elliott’s “REMEDY” Site
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