Translated…
As we’d gone to visit the graves of our ancestors on Memorial Day, we’d made it to my great uncles for a short visit, as we’re about to leave, my great uncle asked us to stay for a meal, I’d said, “Thanks, but, we’d don’t want to trouble you!”, my great uncle looked very loving, told us, “It’s no trouble, just adding an extra pair of chopsticks.”
“Just adding an extra pair of chopsticks.”, it’d been a long time, since I’d heard that, remembering how when we were young, my dad who was very hospitable would always ask the guests to stay for supper. And because it wasn’t as convenient as we have it today, there were, very limited number of shops that offered delivery, my dad would worry that as his guests returned back home, they would’ve missed out on their mealtimes, so he’d always hoped, that his guests could stay for supper.
And a lot of the guest thought that this would be adding troubles to my dad, and, insisted on leaving, at which time, my dad would say, “It’s no trouble at all, just adding an extra pair of chopsticks!”, meaning that there were, many of us already, and my mother had originally prepared a lot of food, that it’s no big deal, to have an extra person at our supper tables, just adding another pair of chopsticks.
Hearing dad say this, more often than not, the guests would stay. And, as mom saw the guests, she would busy herself about the kitchen, and added a dish or two that’s not usually prepared, letting us children, getting the extra servings of something, thanked to our guests. And, as children, if we’d needed to help wash up the rice, to chop up the foods to be prepared to get cooked, or needed to run errands to buy things at the store, we were, more than happy to.
When every dish is served on the tables, everybody sat down to meal with the guest, as the adults talked on whatever, we the children were, very happy, eating the prepared meal; as a child, I’d, secretly wished, that someone would come to our house every single day.
And maybe, it was, watching my parents’ example, after I’d married for over decades of time, I’d continued this tradition; even if the transportations are more convenient, and taking out is easier, when someone comes to my house, I’d used these words, to show my welcoming them to my home, hoping, that they could stay for a meal.
With the advances in technologies, the families and friends rarely made house calls, they’d used the communications app LINE, and there were, almost NO opportunity for me to say these words, but I’d never forgotten how much bliss, and how much warmth these words had brought to me. After all, this can show how much the homeowners welcomed their guests, a sort of a best way of interaction.
So, by watching your father, welcoming the guests to stay for supper, you’d carried on his legacy, and, by learning from watching your own father, you’re actually, passing along, this cycle of kindness that you’d picked up in your earlier years.