A frail old man went to live with his son,
daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.
The old man’s hand 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 Grandfather,”
said the son,
I’ve had enough of this spilled milk,
noisy eating and food on the floor.
So the husband and wife
set 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 word 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 he 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 the 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.
