Someone is Watching
June 23, 2009 If our parents do something wrong,
we should urge them to change.
We should do so with a kind expression and caring voice.
Should our parents not accept our advice,
try again when they are in a better mood.
If they still do not listen,
our sincere tears will show them how deeply we care.
Should they get angry with us, do not hold it against them.
Once, in the not so distant past, a man decided to take some apples from his neighbor. He thought, “I’ll only take a few. My neighbor will never miss them and besides he can’t possibly use all those apples.” He waited until it was dark. To be sure he wasn’t caught; he took Natasha, his youngest daughter, with him so she could keep watch and warn him if anyone approached.
Walking quietly, father and daughter went to the neighbor’s orchard where there were many apple trees. The father reached up to the first tree and picked a few apples. He was about to put them into the basket he had brought along when his daughter said softly, “Father, someone’s watching.” Her father immediately looked around but saw no one.
He then went to another tree and picked a few more apples. His daughter tugged at his pants and a little louder this time said, “Father, someone’s watching!” Again, he looked around nervously, but saw no one.
He picked up his basket and moved down the row of trees and reached up to pick a few more apples. He was just putting them into his basket, when his daughter called out “Father, someone is watching!”
He was frustrated at looking around and seeing no one. But just to be safe he moved deeper into the orchard where he was further away from the road. Even here, his daughter cried out to him “Father, someone is watching you!” Again he looked all around but saw no one. Exasperated, he turned to his daughter and said, “Why do you keep saying someone’s watching? No one’s here!”
His daughter looked up at him, her eyes glistening with rising tears, and said, “I’m here.”
Moved by her concern, her father suddenly realized he had been setting a very bad example and that his daughter had only been trying to help him realize that taking the apples was wrong. After all, he had always taught her that stealing was wrong, and here he was doing it! He hugged her to let her know that she was right and what a good daughter she was.
They walked home together hand in hand. Along the way they carefully put all the apples back under the trees.
Moral
To help others see their mistakes, we need to speak politely,
at the right time, and away from others.
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