August 24, 2007

Seasons of Life



There was an Indian Chief who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.
The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.
The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping withfruit, full of life and fulfillment.
The man then explained to his sons that each of them had reported correctly, because they had each seen but one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season,and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are passed.
If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, the fulfillment of your fall.
Moral: Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult seasons and better ones are sure to come.

13 comments:

GUYK said...

So true. And as a deist I figure that without the winter there could be no spring..winter is when the seeds mature and fall to sprout again in the spring. What is life after all but a continuing circle ending in death that continues with new birth..and as a circle no beginning and no end. Was this the meaning of "I am the alpha and omega."? I think so.

Jan said...

'Was this the meaning of "I am the alpha and omega."? I think so.'


The first and the last, where there was no beginning and no end...an all encompassing circle of life...yes.

Anonymous said...

A good tale to remember.

Jan said...

Yes...something we can all do well to remember.

Anonymous said...

I've had a good lesson in my life this week. I am currently a real estate broker (I've also been a nurse and now working on a loan officer license). I had a deal that was very distressing due to complications and could not see past that. My husband who is also broker in charge in the office we work in, took charge for me after I started to decompress and called me this morning to tell me he had it all worked out with all parties. I hate when I get so weighed down by work stuff and I know better, but I just got mired in this one. The important thing isn't that the situation is resolved but that I have a partner willing to step up to the plate. I am blessed.

Jan said...

Yes...so very blessed to have a partner, and companion, like that.

I'm sure that is a very stressful job, but sometimes, it is just the mundane everyday events that get us in a dither...but I read somewhere that ninty-nine per cent of the stuff we worry about, never happens.

Anonymous said...

That's true and I'm usually pretty pragmatic about life and I don't let stuff bother me, but the last couple of weeks have been one problem after another and I knuckled under. The good news is, the woman we work with is a farm girl like me and she has bullied my husband into putting up a fence and shed so I can keep some goats. He even talked about adding a chicken coop so I can keep a few for eggs. If I have farm stuff to do, my stress level goes way down. My heart and my feet are rooted in dirt.

Jan said...

Oh, that sounds like fun...especially the chicken coop! I remember how much fun it was to gather eggs, when I was a little girl.

k said...

rockync, I have a long time real estate background. And I tell you, having that interest is tied in perfectly with having one's heart and feet rooted in dirt.

Land. Earth. What some call the Mother. The source of our food and shelter and clothing and warmth and beauty.

It's one of the most connected and connecting forces of life there is.

The alpha and the omega. Life to death to life again. Dust to dust.

Jan said...

Beautifully said, k

Anonymous said...

k that is so true. I find myself not wanting certain people to buy a property when I know they won't put the land to good use. I have the heart of a farmer, that's for sure. I've been away from farming for some time and although we moved to town and got better paying jobs for the sake of the children, I've always missed it. It will be nice to dabble once again, even if I can't do it for a living.

k said...

That's always rather awful, when you see people buying a place they won't nurture right.

After a rather complicated series of life's twists and turns, my husband and I finally ended up buying a house. It's the only piece of real estate I've ever owned.

And it's mine. Can't take it away from me.

I grow all sorts of things on it - flowers everywhere, and trees and vines and strange Dr. Seuss plants. Food, too. Critters of all kinds run around the yard. I make brickwork and rock paths.

I've put down roots. My whole world shifted, and I am happy now.

Jan said...

And I was just about to say,don't forget the rocks you've been collecting all over creation, but now I know you build rock paths, and no doubt, rock gardens, which I love!

I'm so happy you've found your own place in the world k...with no reservations.