The Wooden Bowl
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. Even in this frail condition, he ate his meals with the family at the dinner 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 so you and Mama can 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 they had to do.
That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days the old man 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 tablecloth was soiled.
- - Author Unknown
We've all heard it said that we should never judge another man until we have walked a mile in his shoes. Hopefully, the story of the Wooden Bowl has again reinforced the concept of giving consideration to other people's circumstances before we pass judgment on their activities.
Wouldn't it be best, when we become irritated with another person, to pause for a moment, give thought to his/her situation and then take action only after having done so. The world would become a much better place if we all made this a rule by which we live.
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