Categories: Stories

The Four Seasons of a Tree, Don’t Judge a Life By One Difficult Season

Don't judge a life by one difficult season.

We live in a world where almost everything is just a few clicks away. Everyone is in a hurry to do things in record time. On top of that, people expect things to be perfect all the time — so much so that the tiniest mistakes send them reeling. Instant gratification is the name of the game and patience has become a thing of the past.

So, for anyone who’s been feeling the strain of having to keep up with everyone else who’s running in the so-called rat race, here’s a tale that will remind you to slow down and appreciate the lessons you learn from the unexpected setbacks that life throws at you. They often lead you to something that’s even better than what you imagined.

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Four Seasons of a Tree

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 a great distance away.

The first son went 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 said, it was laden with blossoms and looked so beautiful.

The third son disagreed. He said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, and it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them.

The youngest one 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. He told them that you cannot judge a tree ‒ or a person ‒ by only one season.

The essence of who we are, the pleasure, joy, and love that come from life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it’s winter, then you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and fulfillment of your fall…

Moral of the Story: Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don’t judge a life by one difficult season.

Sure, it’s nice to get things in a flash. We’re often told to strike while the proverbial iron is hot and all that. However, you’ll realize that some of the best things that life has to offer are always worth hard work and, yes, the wait. Some things just take time. To each its own season.