Archives for February 16, 2018

Lesson from the Son

Velan was a carpenter in a village. His mother had died long back. His aged father, Kuppan, lived with him. He could not even walk well due to weakness since Velan did not give him enough food. Velan was a drunkard also. After taking drinks, he abused his father badly.

Velan had a 10 year old sun Muthu. He loved his grandfather and had great respect for him. He did not like his father’s attitude and character and cruel treatment given to his grandfather.

One day Kuppan was eating his food out of earthen plate that his son had given to him. The earthen plate along with food fell down and broke into pieces. Velan was very angry with his father and used very harsh words to abuse his father. The old man felt sorry for his mistake but Velan’s words wounded him very deeply.

Velan’s son, Muthu, saw all this but was afraid to speak against his father. He was really sad about his grandfather but was not powerful enough to support of his grandfather.

The next day Muthu took some of his father’s carpentry tools and a piece of wood. He worked with the tools to make a wooden plate. His father saw him working.

“What are you making, Muthu?” he asked. “I am making a wooden plate!” replied Muthu. “A wooden plate ! What for?” asked his father. “I am making it for you, father. When you grow old, like my grandfather, you will need a plate for food. A plate made from earth mat will break very easily. Then I may scold you severely. So, I want to give you a wooden plate which will not break very easily and you will be spared the scolding .” Velan was shocked to hear this. He realized terrible mistake he was making. His father had looked after Velan very well. Now, he was old and he was failing in his duties. He apologized to his father and became a totally different person. From that day, Velan treated his father with great respect. He gave up drinking too. His son taught him a life lesson.

You should honor your parents at all times. It is your noble duty. It brings you their blessings and good wishes.

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One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out.

Even with the smile on her face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.”

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard….
She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”

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