One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.
He passed the first interview; the director did the last interview, made the last decision.
The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.
The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".
The director asked, "Was it your father who paid for your school fees?"
The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.
The director asked, "Where did your mother work?"
The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.
The director asked, "Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.
The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, clean your mother's hands and then see me tomorrow morning".
The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.
The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.
This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.
After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother. That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.
Next morning, the youth went to the director's office. The Director noticed the moist eyes of the young man, asked: "Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"
The youth answered" I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes' The Director asked, "Please tell me your feelings."
The youth said:
Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not have been A successful me today.
Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done.
Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of relationship ( Be it a family, friend or even a colleague).
The director said, "This is what I am looking for to be in an person, who could appreciate others in small and big things, you are hired.
Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of ALL.
A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put him first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he comes open in this WORLD on his own,
he would never know the sufferings of others and would always blame others. For this kind of individuals, who may be good in all, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. They will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more.
Let us all get to the grass root of learning, You can let your kid's, siblings, friends get the best of all. But, let them experience the most basics of all like when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates/bowls together. It is not because you do not have facility, but instead you want them to UNDERSTAND, no matter how rich or poor we are, one day we all grow grey, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is to learn how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty & learns the ability to work with others to get things done.
