The Little Boy and the Old Man

Time. Time is a funny thing. Sometimes it can seem to crawl and last forever. There are other times in life that time can pass by in a blink of an eye. 

Many of us can think back to our childhood or when we became teenagers and smile, remembering the times that we might have done something goofy, silly, or immature. Or maybe you remember the instances that you used to day-dream, thinking of the day when you would grow up and “be big” like your mom or dad…or maybe your brother or sister.

Today, most of us are adults. We are busy with our everyday lives with jobs, family, sports, etc. How often do we spend so much time on ourselves and what we do, that we forget about important people in our lives..the younger and older individuals?

As time marches on throughout our lives, we need to remember that as much as we were cared for and loved when we were younger, it is important that we never forget that older people also need to feel loved, needed and cared for.

The following little story / poem by author and poet Shel Silverstein, is a beautiful illustration of a relationship between a boy and an old man that should be a good reminder to us that we should always have a heart of compassion for not only a young person but also for those who are older.

---

The Little Boy and Old Man

Said the little boy, Sometimes I drop my spoon.

Said the little old man, I do that too.

The little boy whispered, I wet my pants.

I do too, laughed the old man.

Said the little boy, I often cry.

The old man nodded. So do I.

But worst of all, said the little boy,

It seems Grown-ups don’t pay attention to me.

And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.

I know what you mean, said the little old man.

~ Shel Silverstein