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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 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, 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?"
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Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a
little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when
you 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.
Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever
observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever
process the messages they absorb. If they see us
patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family
members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest
of their lives.
The wise parent realizes that every day the building
blocks are being laid for the child's future. Let us be
wise builders.
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