What would you see if you could turn back time?

Today I’ll tell you a story which everyone will relate to as almost everyone starts their life with a family…

An old man was sitting on the verandah of his farmhouse along with his daughter who has a very successful business in the big smoke. This was her first visit for some time and the old man loved the moment.

Suddenly a blue wren landed on their verandah.

The father asked his daughter, “What is this?”

The daughter replied “It is a blue wren”.

After a few minutes, the father asked his daughter the second time – “What is this?”

The daughter said “Dad, I have just told you. It’s a blue wren”.

After a little while, the old man again asked his daughter – “What is this?”

At this time some expression of irritation was in the young lady’s tone when she said to her dad with a rebuff. “It’s a blue wren, a blue wren, a blue wren”.

A little after, the father again asked his daughter the fourth time – “What is this?”

This time the daughter raised her voice at the old man, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times IT IS A BLUE WREN; are you not able to understand this?”

A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered diary that he kept since his daughter was born. He turned to a page and asked his daughter to read that page. When the daughter read it, she saw these words:

“Today my little girl of two was playing with me on the couch, when a group of little birds stared darting around the lawn in front of the house, one of them – a beautiful blue wren came to sit on the window sill. My daughter asked me 21 times what it was, and I replied to her all 21 times that it was a blue wren. I hugged her lovingly each time she asked me the same question again and again for 21 times. I wasn’t at all irritated instead I felt affection for this innocent child of mine.”

Sometimes, we tend to forget how much our parents have done for us. We forget the sacrifices they made, and how they have moulded our future.

We may or may not realise this, but families provide role models for us in a lot of ways.

We grow up and learn many things from the influences of our mum and dad, uncle and aunty, brothers and sisters, even our peers. Although they may not have been the wisest or the most learned, we at least gain from their good and bad examples that set us on the track of our lives.

Looking back on your past role models who influenced your values – were they good values or something you would’ve avoided?

Did you feel safe with your family, or did you want to steer clear from your family’s influence?

Who did you model (i.e. your self-image, interests in sports and health, etc.) when you were young? Please SHARE in the comments below.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

19 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 21 Oct 2021
    12:44 pm
Interesting story but to be honest if my Dad kept askling me the same question like that I would be taking him to the Doctors.

- - mom156049 said
  - 11 Feb 2016
    10:57 am
My older sister – I took an interest in her interests. My grandmother was also always an idol of mine

- - mom160421 said
  - 10 Feb 2016
    1:29 pm
My greatest role models were my parents – my father for his common sense and values, and my mother for her gregarious and compassionate nature. I miss them so very much and yet they are part of me.

- - welshmummy said
  - 03 Feb 2016
    1:44 pm
Wonderful story. Got me think of when I was young and I remember waiting for my grandmother to visit. I only had her for 7 years in my life and although she as been gone many, many years now. The love and joy she gave to me I hope I give to my own grandchildren.

- - serotonin said
  - 02 Feb 2016
    1:02 am
Very thought provoking and interesting! I need to be more patient, and this has inspired me to make more of an effort and to cherish even the hardest of days.

- - ella12 said
  - 25 Jan 2016
    4:33 pm
That is such a beautiful warming story. I have always felt safe with my loved ones.

- - rovermum said
  - 25 Jan 2016
    9:26 am
What a touching story. It highlights impatience these days with our young ones. I’m going to share this story with my son. I know I share many of my traits, experiences, stories with my son from my childhood that were moulded on my Mum.

- - mom94125 said
  - 24 Jan 2016
    4:48 pm
yeah respect for elders was a big one! it was very shameful to be disrespectful or impolite.

- - june11 said
  - 24 Jan 2016
    10:31 am
My parents made sure they always set us a good example (except my Dad smoked and had a bad temper – sometimes violent). They taught us to treat everybody with respect, always be polite even if others are rude to us, manage our money (save for items before you buy them -except a house – you can only save a good deposit for that) and not buy things on Credit Card. I don’t even have one. I have a debit card and I make all regular account payments by direct debit. I use my Debit Card to pay for my weekly groceries and withdraw some cash for emergencies such as medicine and any other small item I need in the same transaction. Less fees. I keep enough money in my account that I never have to pay fees.

- - mom94125 said
  - 22 Jan 2016
    2:13 pm
yeah that is lovely that the father would remember that (even though it was in the diary). i adore my mum. when i had a child, i felt a lot more closer to her. she is my role model

- - mom93821 said
  - 22 Jan 2016
    7:13 am
Role models have come from many different people and sometimes these people have not known they were role models. I have chosen role models with goodness at the core of their being. There are so many people in a life and it is important to avoid the negative role models; learn from them but do not be them! At the end of the day; you need to proud of the reflection in the mirror.

- - mom134803 said
  - 22 Jan 2016
    3:31 am
My family had both positive and negative influence on my development. Still I love them too bits and I wouldn’t change a thing as my parents have their own story as well, like we all have. And some of these stories are filled with pain and hurt, influencing and shaping us along our ways.

- - mom101628 said
  - 21 Jan 2016
    10:14 pm
I always felt that any success I had in life was despite my family rather than because of them. I do hope I have been better influence on my children and they tell me that their work ethic has been derived from what they saw of how I did things while they were growing up. But all in all, I am grateful for my life.

- - rachelvk said
  - 21 Jan 2016
    3:06 pm
I have a wonderful family full of amazing role models. I hope I can be the same for my children.

- - aprilb1 said
  - 21 Jan 2016
    11:38 am
I should keep a dairy of little moments like this it would be great to look back on

- - mom90758 said
  - 20 Jan 2016
    3:57 pm
Unluckily I never felt safe with my family. And I don’t think they transmitted any good value to me.

What a lovely story with the blue wren. What a coincidence. Last week I was on holiday, and outside it was always full of those lovely birds. 🙂
- mom93821 replied
  
  24 Jan 2016 , 4:15 pm
  They are gorgeous little birds!
- - mom165081 said
  - 20 Jan 2016
    2:31 pm
It is always interesting to reflect on this type of thing.

- - mum4107 said
  - 20 Jan 2016
    5:46 am
My family were great influence and still are. I’m very lucky.