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The Wooden Bowl

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 311291

 

 

 

The Wooden Bowl 

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, 
A year from now.
 

 

 

Bowl that is not wooden

 


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 so 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. 

 

 

 

For the record, I did not write this story. Many of you have already seen it but I still wanted to share...

The Wooden Bowl

 

 

 

 

Margaret Rome 410-530-2400

 

Posted by

Margaret Rome
HomeRome Realty
Broker/Owner/Realtor®

Baltimore, Maryland


Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

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Comments (22)

Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

Margaret,

Thanks for sharing. Kids see things we don't and communicate things we should listen to for sure. Very moving story.

Aug 25, 2014 04:27 AM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

Very nice post about the reality of aging, and how some adult-children have low tolerance.  Thank goodness Gramps wasn't placed in the nursing home, tucked out of site!  N

Aug 25, 2014 05:05 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

"The Wooden Bowl" is the perfect story to share in "The Old Fart's Club" group, Margaret!  It is amazing, the lessons we can learn from the young.  Example: the little boy collecting wood scraps for the next generation of bowls.

Aug 25, 2014 06:11 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Fred, Very moving. Please share.

Ronald, Shake it what it was meant to do.

Sarah, This was very moving.

Carla, The story sure made brought about reality.

Mryl, I love your new Old group!

Aug 25, 2014 06:34 AM
Christine O'Shea
Christine E O'Shea Broker - Naples, FL

Thanks for sharing, I have seen this before but enjoyed it again, truth from the mouths of babes!

Aug 25, 2014 10:55 AM
Dick Greenberg
New Paradigm Partners LLC - Fort Collins, CO
Northern Colorado Residential Real Estate

Hi Margaret - I haven't read that story before, but it's going to stay with me for a long time. Thanks so much for sharing.

Aug 25, 2014 11:44 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Christine, I was also  glad to read it again.

Dick, It will stay with you.

Aug 25, 2014 12:05 PM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Good lesson Margaret!

When we were young we were taught to help out our grandparents often, and it is a lesson that I have taught my children.  Hopefully they will be around with helpful grandchildren when I get old.

 

Aug 25, 2014 12:57 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Bob, Good to keep these lessons alive.

Aug 25, 2014 01:04 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Having two grandsons about that age, I can really appreciate this story.  They are so observant, and absorb all that they see and experience!

Aug 25, 2014 09:53 PM
Dianne Goode
Raleigh Cary Realty - Raleigh, NC
Realtor/Broker

Hi Margaret. A sweet story with a sharp lesson:  "Do unto your parents as you would have your children do unto you!"

Aug 25, 2014 10:13 PM
Pamela Seley
West Coast Realty Division - Murrieta, CA
Residential Real Estate Agent serving SW RivCo CA

I don't think I will ever forget the story of the Wooden Bowl. Glad to see the parents had a change of heart. 

Aug 26, 2014 02:28 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Sharon, You are a great role model.

Dianne, Good way of putting it.

Pamela, I had remembered this story from some time ago.

Aug 26, 2014 06:18 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Hi Margaret.....hard to imagine they'd treat the grandpa in such a manner.  I can't imagine ..... Love the story!

Aug 26, 2014 06:38 AM
Elyse Berman, PA
LoKation Real Estate - Boca Raton, FL
Boca Raton FL (561) 716-7824

I have not heard the story of the wooden bowl before, Margaret.  You're right; I won't ever forget it.  Imagine that it took a 4 year old to teach his parents the right thing to do.  I am envisioning the old man and it brings tears to my eyes.

 

I tried to reblog this post; it told me I wasn't allowed.  I thought it was a story worth repeating.

Aug 26, 2014 07:03 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Anna, I, too, loved the story.

Elyse, I guess because it was not an original, you cannot reblog..

Aug 26, 2014 12:21 PM
Judith Parker
ProStead Realty - Charlotte, NC
CRS, GRI, CMRS, Charlotte, NC

Good morning Margaret ... I have heard and so love this story.  I am the care giver for my 90 year old mother.  I cherish this special time with her.  Have a beautiful week-end.

Aug 29, 2014 07:20 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Judith Parker 

This story is so perfect for all of us to read and appreciate. Your mom is lucky to have such a caring daughter. Speaks volumes about both of you. 

Aug 29, 2014 11:11 PM
Cheryl Ritchie
RE/MAX Leading Edge www.GoldenResults.com - Huntingtown, MD
Southern Maryland 301-980-7566

That is very sad. It makes you realize how much the whole boat can be missed. 

Sep 01, 2014 01:28 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Cheryl Ritchie you are so right

Sep 01, 2014 02:02 PM