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At home, the
chores were
accumulating.
The kind mother
ran from one
side to the
other trying to
cope with
everything.
Richard, aged
seven, who
watched that
whole movement,
complained:
- Mom, you are
not stopping for
one minute to
give me
attention!...
She stopped what
she was doing
and seeing her
son there with a
dejected face,
suggested:
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- Honey, help me
with the
household chores
and I will have
time to give you
all the
attention you
deserve. Come
take a broom and
sweep the yard!
- Oh, Mom! I do
not like doing
these household
chores.
- So, what do
you like to do?
- his mom asked,
interested.
The boy's
expression
changed into a
distant one, as
if he was
thinking, and
said excitedly:
 |
- I would like
to work building
skyscrapers and
seeing them grow
as if they were
reaching the sky
and have many
employees to
obey my orders.
Or, as a doctor
work in a
hospital, caring
for people and
healing them. Or
maybe have a big
company, have a
lot of employees
to do whatever I
want, and make
lots of
money!... But I
could also...
His mother, who
listened with
infinite
patience, smiled
at Richard's
dreams. Then she
approached him
fondly and said:
- Honey, it's
very fair that
you have
grandiose
dreams. However,
to accomplish
any of
them,
you will
need to
grow and
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learn a
lot.
Nothing
is
achieved
without
effort
and
dedication.
And to
learn,
we have
to start
with the
little
things.
Therefore,
each
function
is
important.
Think
about
it!
Every
day I
put out
the
rubbish.
What if
there
were no
rubbish
collectors? |
- We would live
in filth! -
exclaimed the
boy with wide
eyes.
- And what if
there were no
field workers
who plant all we
need? How would
we do?
The boy thought
for a moment and
replied:
- We would not
have wheat,
which makes the
bread that I
like so much!
- That's it! But
there's more,
dear. From the
crop, the wheat
grains go to the
mill and are
ground. Then as
flour, it is
transported to
the retailers.
The owner of the
bakery buys
flour and only
then the bread
is prepared and
baked by people
who stay up all
night working so
we can eat it
fresh for
breakfast. Ah!
And we still
need someone who
will pick it up
at the bakery!
Richard was
impressed. His
mother
continued:
- And we are
only talking
about bread!
What about
everything else
that is part of
our daily lives?
The clothes we
wear, the shoes
we wear,
furniture, the
house itself...
How do you build
a house?
- I know, Mom!
You need bricks,
cement and sand.
Daddy taught me
the other day
when he was
repairing the
wall outside.
Also, we need
electrical
wires, pipes for
water and a lot
of other things!
And people to
work on it.
- Well done,
Richard. Then
you realize that
we are all
useful in God's
work? There are
no smaller or
bigger, less
important or
more important
people. We are
God's helpers,
working in this
life in
different areas
and functions.
From the street
sweeper to a
great
entrepreneur, we
are all equal.
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The boy, now
seeing the world
in which he
lived in a
different way,
said:
- You're right,
Mom. The other
day, my teacher
said that in the
hospital a
doctor can only
perform his task
because there
are people
cleaning and
disinfecting
everything, to
prevent viruses
and bacteria
from entering
there.
Then he smiled
at his mom and
said:
- You are right,
Mom. We could
not live alone!
She hugged her
son, gave him a
kiss, then
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|
grabbed
a broom
and
suggested: |
|
- So now take
the broom and
start sweeping!
The boy laughed.
- That's right.
I must learn to
sweep. And
whatever I do, I
will do it well.
Richard grew up,
became a man,
but always
remembered that
lesson he had
learned from his
mother. He
studied
engineering
because it was
the area that
most appealed to
him. However, he
never failed to
appreciate the
function of each
employee,
treating
everyone with
respect and
consideration.
Addressing his
subordinates, he
would always end
up stating:
- We must do the
best we can. We
are God's
co-workers in
the job of
improving the
world.
Feeling valued,
everybody felt
esteemed and
worked with
love, hoping to
be, where
possible, much
more productive
and efficient.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia Xavier
de Camargo on
30/05/2011.)
