HAVE A SEAT

There was once a very old man whose eyes had become dim and his ears hard of hearing. His hands shook, and when he sat at the table, he could hardly hold his spoon. He would spill the broth upon the tablecloth or find it running out of his mouth.

His son and daughter-in-law were disgusted by this, and eventually, they set a place for him at the far end of the dining area to sit by himself, out of sight from the rest of the family.

The elderly man would sit alone at mealtime, frustrated and unhappy, trying to eat with as much grace as he could manage. His young grandson would give him encouraging smiles while the old man’s eyes would well up with tears.

One day, the youngster was playing with his building blocks.

“What are you making, dear boy?” his mother asked him.

“I’m building a special chair. There will be one for you and one for Daddy. And when you are too old, like grandfather, you can sit in your special chairs and still eat with the family. When I grow up, nobody will ever have to eat alone.”

His mother cried. His father said,

“Son, we’ll make a special chair for grandfather today. And from now on, we will always all eat together.”

The old man smiled.