A Parable
of a Blacksmith and His Son
A Blacksmith Worked to Put His Son Through School & The Son
Finally Appreciates His Father’s Hard Work. The young man went to seek an
important position at a large printing company. He passed the initial interview
and was going to meet the director for the final interview. The director saw
his resume, it was excellent.
And asked, “Have you received a scholarship for school?” The boy
replied, "No.”
“It was your father who paid for your studies?”
“Yes.” He replied.
“Where does your father work?”
“My father is a Blacksmith”
The Director asked the young to show him his hands.
The young man showed a pair of hands soft and perfect.
“Have you ever helped your parents at their job?”
“Never, my parents always wanted me to study and read more
books. Besides, he can do the job better than me.”
The director said, “I have got a request: When you go home
today, go and wash the hands of your father and then come see me tomorrow
morning.”
The young felt his chance to get the job was high.
When he returned to his house he asked his father if he would
allow him to wash their hands. His father felt strange, happy, but with mixed
feelings and showed his hands to his son. The young washed his hands, little by
little. It was the first time that he noticed his father's hands were wrinkled
and they had so many scars. Some bruises were so painful that his skin
shuddered when he touched
them.
This was the first time that the young man recognized what it
meant for this pair of hands to work every day to be able to pay for his study.
The bruises on the hands were the price that he paid for his education, his
school activities and his future.
After cleaning his father's hands the young man stood in silence
and began to tidy and clean up the workshop. That night, father and son talked
for a long time.
The next morning, the young man went to the office of the
director.
The Director noticed the tears in the eyes of the young when He
asked him, “Can you tell me what you did and what you learned yesterday at your
house?”
The boy replied, “I washed my father's hands and when I finished
I stayed and cleaned his workshop.”
“Now I know what it is to appreciate and recognize that without
my parents I would not be who I am today. By helping my father I now realize
how difficult and hard it is to do something on my own. I have come to
appreciate the importance and the value in helping the family.”
The director said, "This is what I look for in my people. I
want to hire someone who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows
the hardship of others to do things, and a person who does not put money as his
only goal in life".
“You are hired.”
A child that has been coddled, protected and usually given him
what he wants, develops a mentality of " I have the right ' and will
always put himself first, ignoring the efforts of their parents. If we are this
type of protective parent are we really showing love or are we destroying our
children?
You can give your child a big house, good food, computer
classes, watch on a big screen TV. But when you're washing the floor or
painting a wall, please let him experience that too.
After eating, have them wash the dishes with their brothers and
sisters. It is not because you have no money to hire someone to do this, it's
because you want to love them the right way. No matter how rich you are, you
want them to understand. One day your hair will turn grey, like the father of
this young man.
The most important thing is that your child learns to appreciate
the effort and to experience the difficulties and learn the ability to work
with others to get things done."
