The Most Important Body Part
My mother used to ask me what
is the most important part of the body. Through the years I would take a guess
at what I thought was the correct answer.
When I was younger, I
thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I said, 'My ears, Mommy.'
She said, 'No. Many people
are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon.'
Several years passed
before she asked me again.
Since making my first
attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer. So this time I told her,
'Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes'.
She looked at me and told
me, 'You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are
many people who are blind.'
Stumped again, I
continued my quest for knowledge and over the years, Mother asked me a couple
more times and always her answer was, 'No. But you are getting smarter every
year, my child.'
Then last year, my
grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I
remember that especially because it was only the second time I saw him cry.
My Mom looked at me when
it was our turn to say our final good-bye to Grandpa. She asked me, 'Do you
know the most important body part yet, my dear?'
I was shocked when she
asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me.
She saw the confusion on
my face and told me, 'This question is very important. It shows that you have
really lived in your life. For every body part you gave me in the past, I have
told you was wrong and I have given you an example why. But today is the day
you need to learn this important lesson.'
She looked down at me as
only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said, 'My dear, the
most important body part is your shoulder.'
I asked, 'Is it because
it holds up your head?'
She replied, 'No, it is
because it can hold the head of a friend or a loved one when they cry.
Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear. I only hope
that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to
cry on when you need it.'
Then and there I knew the
most important body part is not a selfish one. It is sympathetic to the pain of
others. People will forget what you said.......People will forget what you
did........ But people will NEVER forget how you made them feel.
