A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass often milk spilled on the tablecloth.
有一位風燭殘年的老人，他和兒子、兒媳還有四歲的小孫子生活在一起。老人的雙手顫抖，眼睛昏花，步履也已蹣跚。晚上一家人圍在一起吃飯，老人顫抖的手和昏花的眼睛讓吃飯成了件很困難的事兒：豆子從他的勺子里掉出來，滾到地板上;拿杯子時牛奶灑在桌布上。
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
這一切讓兒子和兒媳感到反感。于是，這對夫妻在角落里給老人單獨擺了張桌子。爺爺一個人孤單地吃飯，其他人在另外一張餐桌上享受著晚餐。爺爺已經打碎了一兩只盤子，于是他的飯碗被換成了一個木碗。
Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate 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 son watched it all in silence.
有時候，向爺爺的那個方向看一眼，就會發現爺爺獨自吃飯時，眼里含著淚花。更有甚者，如果爺爺把叉子掉在地上或者弄灑了食物，夫妻二人拋給老人的話語一定是尖刻的警告。四歲的孫子在一旁靜靜地看著發生的一切。
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 from when I grow up.” The four-year-old son 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.
一天晚上晚餐前，父親發現兒子正在地板上玩木屑。他親切地問孩子：“你在做什么?”兒子同樣親切地回答：“哦，我在給你和媽媽做小碗，等我長大了給你們用。”四歲的孩子笑了笑，然后繼續做他的小碗。夫妻二人愣住了。兩個人沉默無語，眼淚流滿了臉頰。盡管兩個人都沒有說話，但是他們都知道應該怎么做。那晚，丈夫拉著爺爺的手，溫和地重新讓他回到了家庭飯桌旁。
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 always observe, their ears always listen, and their minds always 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 is being laid for the child's future.