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 journey, in return, to
go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. Each of his son will journey in different season. The first 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
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
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, and that the
essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come 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, 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 some time or later. That is the lesson on life.
