..
THE
GOLDEN RULE
By
"Unknown"
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 Grandfather," 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 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.
Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their
ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb.
If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members,
they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The
wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid
for the child's future. Let us be wise builders.
The Bus
A lady about seven months pregnant got on a
bus. She noticed the man opposite her was smiling at her. She immediately
moved to another seat.
This time the smile turned into a grin, so
she moved again. The man seemed more amused. When on the fourth move, the
man burst out laughing, she complained to the driver and had the man arrested.
The case came up in court. The judge asked
the man what he had to say for himself.
The main replied, "Well your Honor, it was
like this: when the lady got on the bus, I couldn't help but notice her
condition. She sat under a sign that said "The Gold Dust Twins are coming,"
and I had to smile.
"Then she moved and sat under a sign that said
"Sloan's Liniment will reduce the swelling" and I had to grin.
"Then she placed herself under a sign that
said "William's Big Stick Did the Trick" and I could hardly control myself.
"BUT...when she moved the fourth time and sat
under a sign that said "Goodyear Rubber could have prevented this accident,"
I laughed out loud."
"Case Dismissed!" said the Judge.
