Moral stories
After 21 years of marriage, my
wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I
love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some
time with you.”
The other woman that my wife
wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the
demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only
occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a
movie. “What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked.
My mother is the type of woman
who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad
news. “I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I
responded. “Just the two of us.” She thought about it for a moment, and then said,
“I would like that very much.”
That Friday after work, as I
drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I
noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the
door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that
she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face
that was as radiant as an angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to go
out with my son, and they were impressed, “she said, as she got into the car.
“They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”
We went to a restaurant that,
although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she
were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could
only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw
Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I
who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s
time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded. During the
dinner, we had an agreeable conversation – nothing extraordinary but catching
up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the
movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again,
but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.
“How was your dinner date?” asked
my wife when I got home. “Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,”
I answered.
A few days later, my mother died
of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance
to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of
a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached
note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there;
but nevertheless, I paid for two plates – one for you and the other for your
wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.”
At that moment, I understood the
importance of saying in time: “I LOVE YOU” and to give our loved ones the time
that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give
them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some
other time.”
Written by Stephen on October
14th, 2008
13. A gift of love! - Moral
stories
“Can I see my baby?” the happy
new mother asked. When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the
fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly
and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance
that was marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into
his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of
heartbreaks. He blurted out the tragedy. “A boy, a big boy … called me a
freak.” He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow
students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a
gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might mingle with other young
people,” his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart. The boy’s
father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done? “I
believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured,” the
doctor decided. Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a
sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then, “You are going to the
hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But
it’s a secret,” said the father. The operation was a brilliant success, and a
new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college
became a series of triumphs. Later he married and entered the diplomatic
service. “But I must know!” He urged his father, “Who gave so much for me? I
could never do enough for him.” “I do not believe you could,” said the father,
“but the agreement was that you are not to know … not yet.” The years kept
their profound secret, but the day did come … one of the darkest days that a
son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket. Slowly,
tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown
hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears. “Mother said she was glad she
never let her hair be cut,” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought
Mother less beautiful, did they?” Real beauty lies not in the physical
appearance, but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what that can be seen,
but what that cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but
in what that is done but not known.
Written by Stephen on October
14th, 2008