The mother was becoming quite old and it became necessary for her to move in with her daughter’s
family. Things were not working out to well because the older woman did not always put things away and had
a tendency to drop things.
One night at dinner, while passing her plate, the older woman dropped the plate and it broke. Her daughter
was quite upset because this was some of her favorite china. After dinner, the younger women told her son
to go down to the local market and buy a tin plate.
When he asked what it was for, he was told it would be used by his grandmother so she could not break
any more of the fine china. When the boy returned from the market, his mother discovered that he had
bought two tin plates and not just one.
She asked him why he had bought two and not just one as she had instructed and he answered. The
other plate is for you, Mom, when you get old.”
The moral of the story is quite simple. Treat your parents as you would have your children treat you.
(Matthew 7.12)
So be careful old people, don’t break your plate.