the importance of appreciation

here's a story sent by my sister. i thought it's really a good one to remind the importance of teaching our kids about appreciation.
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One young academically excellent person applied for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed several interviews; the director did the last interview.
The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school to postgraduate research. There was never a year when he did not score well.

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 laundry woman.
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. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than I.

The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and 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 found it strange, and with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the young man.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. Tears fell as he did that. It was the first time he had noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises. 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 his school fees. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price she paid for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After he finished cleaning of his mother's 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 tears in the youth's eyes, asked: "Can you tell me what you have done and learned yesterday at home ?"

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:
1. I now know what appreciation is. Without my mother, there would not have been the successful me today.
2. By working together and helping my mother, I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done.
3. I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationships.

The director said, "This is what I am looking for in the candidate to fill the managerial position I have open. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who understands the sufferings of others in getting things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired."

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the utmost respect of his subordinates. Every one of his employees worked diligently and as a team, they delivered tremendous results.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, could develop an "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first and be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never try to understand the difficulties and sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of a person, who may be academically strong, he may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel a sense of achievement. He will often grumble and feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled. If we have been this sort of protective and indulgent parent, are we really preparing our children to deal with the future ?

You can let your children live in a big house, have good meals, learn to play the piano, watch the latest movie on a big screen TV. But when you are cutting the grass, do let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their own plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. Not because you cannot afford domestic help, but because you want them to appreciate the effort, learn and experience the challenges and difficulties and figure out how to work with others to get things done.