A wise father teaches his 15-year-old son the importance of kindness and respect after overhearing him yelling at a visually impaired woman at a bakery.
Steve Morrison had worked hard all his life and became quite successful. This meant his son, Luke, enjoyed privileges many of his friends didn’t. However, Luke often took these privileges for granted.
One afternoon, as Steve was driving home from school with Luke, he received an urgent call from his business partner about a new case. Steve, a lawyer at Case Paramount in South Philadelphia, pulled over near a bakery to focus on the call and review some documents. While Steve was on the phone, Luke began to complain about being hungry.
Steve stopped by a bakery to talk to Morris | Photo: Shutterstock
“Come on, Dad! My summer vacation starts tomorrow, and Mom won’t let me eat out! I’ll be on a healthy diet all summer,” Luke whined. After some persistence, Steve handed Luke some money and allowed him to buy something from the bakery, warning him not to buy anything with peanuts due to his allergy.
Luke ran into the bakery and quickly placed his order with Madison, the shop assistant, who had a visual impairment. She mistakenly gave him one cinnamon roll and one cream bun instead of the two cinnamon rolls he ordered. Luke became irritated and rudely snapped at her.
Luke ordered two cinnamon rolls and a chocolate frappé | Photo: Pexels
“WHAT THE HELL? I asked for two cinnamon rolls, not a cream bun! Are you deaf?” he yelled.
Madison hurried to correct the mistake while Luke continued to be rude, making her feel even more distressed. Luke tossed some money on the counter and left the bakery without saying another word. Steve, who had walked into the bakery after ending his call, witnessed Luke’s behavior and was deeply disappointed.
Steve was disappointed with the way Luke spoke to Madison | Photo: Pexels
Upon leaving the bakery, Steve asked Luke about his experience. Luke criticized the staff and mentioned Madison’s visual impairment as an excuse for the mistake. Sensing a teachable moment, Steve decided that Luke needed to learn a lesson in respect and hard work. He told Luke he would spend a month working part-time at a bakery or diner over the summer.
Luke’s father decided to teach him a lesson by making him work at a food joint | Photo: Pexels
“I’m serious, son. You’ll see how hard people work for their families,” Steve said.
Luke reluctantly agreed. He soon realized that working at a diner was far from easy. His boss, Mr. Duncan, was very strict, and Luke often faced challenges. This experience made Luke reflect on his behavior towards Madison and appreciate the hard work of others.
One evening, Luke apologized to his father for his rudeness at the bakery. Steve encouraged him to apologize to Madison as well. “You should never judge a person based on their appearance or job. We all work hard for our families,” Steve reminded him.
The next day, Luke went to the bakery and apologized to Madison. He even started working part-time at the bakery and soon became friends with her.
Madison was really good at painting | Photo: Pexels
Madison, despite her visual impairment, was a talented painter. She showed Luke one of her beautiful paintings, and he was genuinely impressed. She explained that she couldn’t afford the costly laser surgery that would improve her vision due to her family responsibilities.
Feeling sympathetic, Luke asked his father if they could help Madison. Steve, proud of Luke’s empathy, happily agreed to pay for her surgery. After her surgery, Steve helped Madison secure a job as an art gallery designer, thanks to connections through his business partner, Morris.
This story teaches us the importance of kindness, empathy, and understanding the value of hard work. Treating others with respect, regardless of their job or appearance, is a lesson that Luke learned and that we all can carry with us.
