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 arms and legs faltered. Every evening, the family ate together at the table; however, the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating extremely difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. In a matter of days, the son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.

"We must do something about father," said the son.

"You are right," said the daughter in law. "I've had enough of his spilled food and drink on my table cloth, his noisy eating and all of the food on the floor that I have to clean up every evening."

As such, the husband and wife decided to set a small table in the corner of the room. At this corner table, the Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since the Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a simple wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction during dinner, they could see him in the corner with a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Even so, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled his food or drink.
The couple's four-year-old son observed everything in silence taking it all in.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing in his work shop with two wood scraps left on the floor. The father asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "I am making two little bowls for you and Mama." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. "When I grow up, you will need them."