The Wooden Bowl

Based on your feedback to my last blog post, ‘Are you spending too much time in YOUR comfort zone?’ you already recognise the value of investing a few minutes of your valuable time to reflect on what’s really important in life. So I think you’ll really like today’s post…

The story of the ‘Wooden Bowl’ is one that contains several powerful messages and also has the potential to cause us to pause and question whether we have the right balance and focus in our lives.

Please take two minutes to read this – you won’t regret it – I promise!

In fact, I guarantee you will remember the story of the ‘Wooden Bowl’ tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

Several years ago, 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 walk was unsteady.

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 his 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 quietly, “What are you making?” The boy responded, “Oh, I’m making a little bowl for you and Mummy 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 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.

So, what are the positives we can take from this story?

Well here are mine, what are yours?:

1. No matter what happens or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. Life sometimes gives you a second chance – seize it!

2. Making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as making a ‘life’.

3. Do it now – sometimes ‘later’ becomes ‘never’.

4. If you pursue happiness, it will elude you, but, if you focus energy and time on your family and your friends, happiness will find you.

5. There are two types of pain in this world; pain that hurts you, and pain that changes you!

6. People will forget what you said… people will forget what you did… but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Please feel free to post a comment in reply and share this post with family, friends and colleagues who may also benefit from and enjoy the read.

Until the next time… Onwards + Upwards!