In a metropolitan city, there lived a family of four children and their parents. All four of them were boys who were of independent age to make their own living. They were unmarried and hence lived with their mother and father. The first son became a reputed doctor who rarely stays at home because of always being on call at the hospital or attending retreats with his friends. The second son worked as a flight engineer in a space organization and visits during holidays. The third son just graduated from an esteemed law university and hence wanted to pursue a career abroad and he too shortly left. The last son was not employed or pursuing education in any sector and stayed at home all day dilly-dallying.
On a festival holiday, all three sons came to visit the parents and stayed at home for ten long days. During this time, each of the three sons took a separate room and was on phone or working with a smart gadget and peeked out only for meal breaks. The last son didn't venture out and helped the mother with the household chores. The father had been bed-ridden for about a year due to partial paralysis. The three elder brothers bullied the youngest one saying he's good for nothing! He couldn't even achieve a decent job in life whereas they themselves are well-equipped. The youngest brother didn't pay heed to the words of his elder brothers and minded about his own business. At other times, they also harassed him by kicking off his food plate or wantonly spilling liquids asking him to mop it up. He bore such treatment in silence.
One day, the mother saw the struggle her youngest son has been going through from her other children and she decided to take action. She called all her children and placed a razor blade and an ax side by side and asked them to pick one which they would think is the most worthy. Bewildered at their mother's strange request, all four of them examined the objects. The razor blade was new and shined with sharpness, it even cut the third brother's finger whilst he was examining it. The ax was worn with use and looked old. The handle was made of wood and there seems nothing special in it. After inspecting for some time, the three elder brothers came to a joint conclusion. We think the razorblade is more worthy because it is brand new and cuts deep whereas the ax is old and hardy. The youngest brother said I'm unable to choose one higher than the other.
Hearing all their answers, the mother replied, "My dear sons, You picked the razor blade that I bought from the shop today morning. That old ax has been in our family since your grandfather's time. To me, the ax holds more value than the razor blade. But, to give an impartial view, even though the razorblade is sharp, it cannot be used to cut the wood. And whilst the ax is strong and hardy it cannot be used to cut the hair. Each serves its own purpose. Truth is, you cannot judge anyone at mere face value." Understanding where his mother is going with this, the youngest brother beamed with tears in his eyes. "All three of you have succeeded in life and made me proud but I rarely get to see you whilst your brother is yet to discover his potential, he has been of great help to me in taking care of your ailing father. I hope all four of you appreciate each other and live life with love and affection for it's always passing." The elder brothers recognized how they have been wrong and apologized to their youngest brother for the ill-treatment he had faced and promised to never let each other down.
On a festival holiday, all three sons came to visit the parents and stayed at home for ten long days. During this time, each of the three sons took a separate room and was on phone or working with a smart gadget and peeked out only for meal breaks. The last son didn't venture out and helped the mother with the household chores. The father had been bed-ridden for about a year due to partial paralysis. The three elder brothers bullied the youngest one saying he's good for nothing! He couldn't even achieve a decent job in life whereas they themselves are well-equipped. The youngest brother didn't pay heed to the words of his elder brothers and minded about his own business. At other times, they also harassed him by kicking off his food plate or wantonly spilling liquids asking him to mop it up. He bore such treatment in silence.
One day, the mother saw the struggle her youngest son has been going through from her other children and she decided to take action. She called all her children and placed a razor blade and an ax side by side and asked them to pick one which they would think is the most worthy. Bewildered at their mother's strange request, all four of them examined the objects. The razor blade was new and shined with sharpness, it even cut the third brother's finger whilst he was examining it. The ax was worn with use and looked old. The handle was made of wood and there seems nothing special in it. After inspecting for some time, the three elder brothers came to a joint conclusion. We think the razorblade is more worthy because it is brand new and cuts deep whereas the ax is old and hardy. The youngest brother said I'm unable to choose one higher than the other.
Hearing all their answers, the mother replied, "My dear sons, You picked the razor blade that I bought from the shop today morning. That old ax has been in our family since your grandfather's time. To me, the ax holds more value than the razor blade. But, to give an impartial view, even though the razorblade is sharp, it cannot be used to cut the wood. And whilst the ax is strong and hardy it cannot be used to cut the hair. Each serves its own purpose. Truth is, you cannot judge anyone at mere face value." Understanding where his mother is going with this, the youngest brother beamed with tears in his eyes. "All three of you have succeeded in life and made me proud but I rarely get to see you whilst your brother is yet to discover his potential, he has been of great help to me in taking care of your ailing father. I hope all four of you appreciate each other and live life with love and affection for it's always passing." The elder brothers recognized how they have been wrong and apologized to their youngest brother for the ill-treatment he had faced and promised to never let each other down.
Moral: Everybody Has An Unique Value
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