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 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. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife
seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped,
milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

it touched my heart. one of the unique love from a child to mother...

tnx 4 sharing