The Four Seasons Of Promise

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 winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son went in the fall. When they had all gone and returned, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said the tree was ugly, bent and twisted.

The second son said 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 only seen one season in the tree's life. He told them you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season. That the essence of who they are, and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from life, can only be measured at the end when all the seasons have passed. If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your fall. 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 in time.

Aspire to inspire before you expire. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And leave the rest to God. Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, failure keeps you humble, success keeps you growing, but only God keeps you going.

Thank you CLAUDIA, who sent this lesson, for being a very important part of the seasons of my life.