What do we do in life’s multitude of situations? How we respond to family and those we interact with every day in life? As I look back, I know there are many times I wished I had taken a little more time to think things through before I reacted.
I’m getting better at it and this story is a wonderful, reflective reminder to me. It is by Rishika Jain Inspirations (RJI) and shared on Facebook by Be Legendary.
When I was a kid, my Mom liked to cook food and every now & then I remember she used to cook for us.
One night in particular when she had made dinner after a long hard day at work, Mom placed a plate of bread, jam and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I was waiting to see if anyone noticed the burnt toast.
But Dad just ate his toast and asked me how was my day at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember I heard Mom apologizing to Dad for burning the toast. And I’ll never forget what he said: “Honey, I love burned toast.”
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Your mamma put in a long hard day at work today and she was really tired. And besides, burnt toast never hurts anyone but harsh words do!”
You know, life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I’m not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else.
What I’ve learned over the years, is that learning to accept each others faults and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences, is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.
Life is not a Sharp Knife to Cut all those Bad Memories. But Life is a Needle to Weave Golden Thread of Sweet Memories … Love your Life … Live your Life 🙂 … It’s the only one you have…. ….ENJOY LIFE NOW.
It has an expiry date. 🙂
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Life throws us curves, left and right, as we weave in and out on our paths every day. The words, “…burnt toast never hurts anyone, but harsh words do” are good to remember.
Can you relate to this little story? I hope you’ll share a time in your life when you did or perhaps didn’t respond, as you liked.
Pat from the ol’ kitchen table
Pat, your parents must have been some very special people. I was touched by the empathy and understanding your dad had in regard to the burnt toast. I know it must have meant a lot to your mom that he didn’t raise a fuss. I recall many an evening here when the day has been hard and the kids are all going crazy. That kind of sweet compassion goes a long way, and how right your dad’s words were. Bless you.
Thank you Ayla but this was not one of my stories, although I can relate to what you say about sweet compassion. It’s a guest story from Rishika Jain Inspirations on the internet. It made me reflect on my life with consideration and love. I know it’s not always easy when the body is tired, nerves frazzled and patience worn thin. That’s when these types of acts of kindness are remembered and mean so much. 🙂
I liked this took me back to my childhood and my dad saying things like that and eating burnt toast because it was the nicer thing to do………………..
You must have sweet memories Joanne with lots of love and compassion. It’s makes family time close when mom and dad choose the path of consideration and kindness.
A nice story, Pat, and a gentle reminder that we are constantly faced with choices to respond either from the heart or from the ego. In this story, the husband selflessly chose the higher road.
Thank you Bev – I’m happy you stopped by and enjoyed the story. It’s not always easy to take the higher road as this father/husband did but it’s truly worth it further down the path when we do. 🙂
Timely and wise advice. Thanks for the encouragement.
Thank you April – I’m happy you stopped by and enjoyed the read. It means a lot to me if it gives you a lift for the day. 🙂