• The Old Man and His Grandson

Respect the elderly.

Long ago, there was an elderly grandfather who had grown quite frail with age. His eyesight was dim, his hearing was poor, and his hands trembled whenever he tried to hold anything. This made eating difficult for him—his shaky hands would often spill soup or food onto the table. Watching this made his son and daughter-in-law uncomfortable, and they became annoyed with the old man’s clumsiness.

As a result, they decided to separate him from the family during meals. They placed him in a quiet corner of the room, far from the main table, and gave him his food in a simple, old bowl. Often, they didn’t give him enough food, and no one paid much attention to him as he ate alone. The old man felt lonely and humiliated, his eyes filled with sadness as he watched his family sharing meals without him.

One day, his hands shook so badly that he accidentally dropped his bowl. It shattered on the floor, causing a loud crash. His daughter-in-law was furious, scolding him for making a mess. The old man sat silently, his head bowed, too ashamed to respond. Afterward, his son and daughter-in-law decided to give him a wooden bowl, something sturdier that he couldn’t easily break.

A few days later, the old man’s young grandson, only four years old, was playing on the floor with some small pieces of wood. Deep in thought, he carefully pieced them together, shaping them with focus and care. His father noticed and asked curiously, “What are you making, son?”

Without looking up, the boy answered, “I’m making a little bowl, so that one day, when you and Mama are old, you’ll have something to eat from.”

The boy’s innocent response struck the parents deeply. They looked at each other, suddenly realizing the cruelty of their actions toward the grandfather. The simplicity of their child’s words uncovered their own lack of kidness and respect for the old man.

From that day on, they invited the grandfather to join them at the main table for every meal. They no longer cared if he spilled a little or made a mess; they simply wanted to share their time with him. Together, they found warmth and happiness in each other’s company, and the family meals became much brighter with everyone eating side by side.