Two Stories

The first step to being a good parent or spouse is easier than we realize sometimes. I have two stories that serve as reminders of what it truly means to love someone. I've put my own touches on these stories, but both are from a speaker I have heard or a book I have read, though I cannot remember the names of the sources. If anything here sounds familiar to you, please let me know!

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While visiting an elderly widow one day, a pastor stood to admire the many books on the woman's bookshelves. He noticed that the books on one shelf were entirely on electrical engineering.

"Wow, she must be an expert!" he thought.

Then he peered at the next shelf, and noticed that these books were entirely about auto mechanics.

"She really has some interesting hobbies!" the pastor said to himself.

When the widow returned with a plate of cookies and a cup of coffee, the pastor asked her about the books.

With a smile, the woman answered. "I have two sons. One's an electrical engineer, and the other's an auto mechanic."

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After years of hearing about her husband's fishing expeditions, a wife decided to join him on one. She carefully put on the proper clothes, packed the proper gear, slathered on sunblock and insect repellent, then hoped for a day of bonding with her husband.

Once at the fishing site, the couple found a spot by the water to cast their lines. The husband didn't speak, and so, his wife also remained silent. Small birds flew overhead, a few squirrels scampered by, but no fish were biting. After three hours of sitting and waiting in silence, the husband decided it was time to go home.

As they walked back to the car with their poles on their shoulders, the wife couldn't help but feel disappointed. She had wanted the day to be about sharing their hearts, the excitement of her husband helping her with her first catch, a day that they could look back on with fondness. But instead, the time had been wasted. She kicked herself for not being the one to initiate conversation.

The car was packed. The trunk was closed. But before the wife could get into the passenger seat, her husband grabbed her in a big bear hug.

"Thanks for coming with me. That was one of my best fishing days ever. Let's do it again sometime!"

And he kissed her.