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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.
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
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