The Wooden Bowl ...

*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 when a fork was
dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. On a positive note, I've
learned 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 four things:*






*a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree
lights. 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* *somethingback*
*sometimes.*

*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. I've learned that I still have a lot to
learn. I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care
about .I just did.*