There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons 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 the summer, and the youngest son in the fall.
When they had gone and come back, he called the 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 in green bud and full with promise. The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most gracious thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of the; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfilment.
The man explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but ONLY one season in the tree’s life. He told them you cannot judge a tree, or a person, but only one season, and that the essence of who they are – and the pleasure, joy, and love 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, fulfilment of your fall. Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all rest. Don’t judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.
When they had gone and come back, he called the 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 in green bud and full with promise. The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most gracious thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of the; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfilment.
The man explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but ONLY one season in the tree’s life. He told them you cannot judge a tree, or a person, but only one season, and that the essence of who they are – and the pleasure, joy, and love 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, fulfilment of your fall. Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all rest. Don’t judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.
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