THE WOODEN BOWL

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 eye
sight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together
at the table, but the elderly man'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 Dad," 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,
Dad ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since
Dad had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden
bowl. When the family glanced in his 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 grandson 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 his Dad's hand and gently led him
to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal
with the family. For some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed
to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the
tablecloth soiled.


Positive notes you should know:

No matter what happens or how bad today seems, life does go on,
and it will be better tomorrow.

You can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles three
things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

Regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them
when they're gone from your life.

Making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."

Life sometimes gives you a second chance.

You shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.
You need to be able to throw something back.

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.

Whenever you decide something with an open heart, you usually
make the right decision.

Even when you have pains, you don't have to be one.

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.

You still have a lot to learn.

You should pass this on to everyone you care about. Sometimes
they just need a little something to make them smile.

People will forget what you said . . . people will forget what you did.
But people will never forget how you made them feel.