the golden 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.

A frail old man went to live withs 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, 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
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.

On a positive note, I’ve learne d
that, no matter what happens, how bad
it seems today, life does go on, and
it will be better tomorrow.

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot
about a person by the way he/she
handles five things: the elderly, the
disabled, a rainy day, relationship
with others, and tangled Christmas
tree lights.

I’ve learned that, regardless of your
relationship with your parents, you’ll
miss them when they ‘re gone from your
life.

I’ve learned that making a “living”
is not the same thing as making
a “life.”

I’ve learned that life sometimes
gives you a second chance.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go
through life with a catcher’s mitt on
both hands. You need to be able to
throw something back.

I’ve learned that if you pursue
happiness, it will elude you. But, if
you focus on your family, your
friends, the needs of others, your
work and doing the very best you can,
happiness will find you.

I’ve learned that whenever I decide
something with an open heart, I
usually make the right decision.

I’ve learned that even when I have
pains, I don’t have to be one.

I’ve learned that every day, you
should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch —
holding hands, a warm hug, or just a
friendly pat on the back. And warm
assurance that you’re a friend
indeed.

I’ve learned that I still have a lot
to learn everyday as well as I have a
lot of knowledge to impart this to
others!