The Cat

  The Ghosts of Green Lake

  Lesson on Life

  Rock in Your Sandbox

  Tender Fields of Grace

  Tips from a Dog

Lesson on Life

Author unknown

There was a man 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 son in the spring, the third in summer, and the fourth son in the fall. When all four sons had returned, 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 his brothers. He declared that the tree was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The father then explained to his sons that they were all right because they had each seen but one season in the tree’s life. He told his sons that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who we are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from life can only be measured at the end when all the seasons are up. If we give up when it’s winter, we will miss the promise of spring, the beauty of summer, and the fulfillment of 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 patches, and better times are sure to come.