Monday, December 11, 2006

Seasons of life

There was a man who had four sons. But they had a problem: they used to judge people too quickly. So he decided to send them each on a quest, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. But there was a difference. The first son was sent 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 with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life, "Son, you cannot judge a tree or a person by only one season. The essence of who they are, and the pleasure that comes from that life, can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up!"

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and fulfillment of your fall.

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