Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn

I am always mindful not to judge things too quickly. Last weekend the local paper ran 2 stories about why you should not make judgements on events that transpired just based on 1 event alone. To read the story written by the reader, click here. and here .

I tell the same stories in my own words:

Story 1

An old man had a beautiful white horse, which he won't part with even when offered huge sums of money.

When the horse was found missing from its stable one morning, the villagers all said "What a misfortune. You would have been better off if you had sold it". The old man said "I don't know whether it's a misfortune or blessing. The fact is the horse is not in the stable. Everything else is judgement".

2 weeks later the horse returned, with a dozen wild horses. Again the people gathered and said " You are right. It was not a misfortune. Indeed it is a blessing".
The old mand replied "Who knows whether it is a blessing or not? Just say that the horse is back".

The old man's son began to train the wild horses. But 1 week later, the son fell from a horse and broke his legs. Again the people gathered and said, "It is a misfortune indeed. Your son has lost the use of his legs. You are now poorer than before". The old man said "You are obsessed about passing judgement. Don't go that far. Say only that my son has broken his legs. Life comprises of fragments and you don't get more than you can handle".

A few months later, it happened that the country went to war. All young men in the village were conscripted by military. The old man's son was spared because of his crippled leg. The villagers went to see the old man and said "Your son's fall has proven to be a blessing. You son may be a cripple but he is still with you. Our sons are gone forever".

The old man said "Don't go on judging. Just say that your sons were forced to join the army while mine was not. Only God knows whether this is a blessing or not".


Story 2

A man sent his 4 sons to look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. When they had all gone and came back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

1st son, who went in winter said : the tree is ugly, bent and twisted.

2nd son, who went in spring said : the tree is covered with green buds and full of prime.

3rd son, who went in summer, said : the tree is laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked beautiful. It was the most graceful thing he had seen.

4th son, who went in autumn, said : it was ripe and drooping with fruits and full of life and fulfilment.

The man then explained that they were all right, because they had each seen only one season of the tree's life. In this way, you cannot judge a person or your life by one season only.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of spring, the beauty of summer, and the fulfilment of autumn. Don't let the pain in one season cancel out the joy of all the others.

Something I have to learn also.