"My
mother used to ask me what the most important part of the body is. 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 one
year, my grandfather 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 my Grandfather.
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 were 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 my 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 made
for others and not for yourself. 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.
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