Dad's Criticism !

 

THE MOUTH OF CRITICISM SHOULD EQUALLY WEIGH AS THE CRITICISM ITSELF

A respected family in a village were earning their living by making artistic ceramic flowerpots since decades. It was fourth generation of this family who was contributing to his ancestor’s legacy.

The father-son duo was showing their best piece of fine arts with their work. The son could translate his father’s teaching at next level, and he was surpassing his dad’s work in terms of quality and delicacy that this art demands. The father used to get extremely happy with what his son could do but planned and managed to keep himself calm and under control. The duo shaped ample varieties of flowerpots that could attract people from various villages and towns. They were in the pink of their business.

Days passed by in glory and the son was getting much sell of his pots than his father. Whenever he made something unique, he used to show his work to his father. His father used to point at least one mistake in his make every time. The son was taking this positively and would work in that direction to improve. This was his daily routine to innovate something and get a criticism from his father. The son was now getting desperate to hear some good thing about his art from his father, but it never happened. At last, he went to his father and tried to dictate him saying “ Dad, I think you know that my pots are getting huge demand and respect than yours so I do not feel that I should listen to any criticism from anybody. I will manage to make my way”.  

The father did not say anything to his son. He just kept calm one more time and left this monologue. The son was in the air of his growth and success. He overlooked the reason of him being this confident and successful in his art. And then, the time started to play its card.

The popularity, the art and the success of which the son was so much in awe of, started fading. His demand of pots, his sales everything was going down with no obvious reason. He could not understand what was happening. The beauty of failure lies in the realization that it forces us to discern. The son gained enough courage to go back to his father and questioned, “Dad, I am the same, my art is the same, then why am I seeing this downfall?”

The father smiled and said, “ Son, I dictated my father when I was of your age, the same way you did to me. I too, could not digest the success. I criticized you every time because I understand that if success is overnight and in one shot, it will not hold you and nor you can hold it. Success is a matter of retention, not attainment. We can only retain something when we constantly work towards it, may it be success or relation. Both should get their part of time to carry it lifelong.”

The father could have explained this earlier to his son when he was awestruck with his success, but he did not. We tend to not understand the importance of what we have achieved unless we see ourselves not worth of it anymore. Secondly, this story teaches us that we should be able to distinguish between the flowers and stones thrown at us and between the people who does this. The stones thrown at us by our parents are the real opportunities which we can covert into enhancing our abilities. The flowers given by “some” are just bullies and can never strengthen our wings. More than the criticism or appreciation, the producer of these should make huge difference in our lives.

We should listen to the advice of our parents, not because they are always right but because they have more experience of being wrong !

Story Courtesy : MOM 😍