| 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, regardless of your relationship
with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
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 something back 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. FRIENDSHIP CANDLE NOTICE AT THE END, THE DATE THE CANDLE WAS STARTED.
GONNA GIVE YOU GOOSE BUMPS. I am not going to be the one who lets it die. I found
it believable -- angels have walked beside me all my life--and they
still do ********************* This is to all of you who mean something to me, I pray for your happiness. The Candle Of Love, Hope &Friendship 
This candle was lit on the
15th of September, 1998
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