The Pear Tree

The Pear 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 that was 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 autumn. 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   My Message How often in life do we jump to conclusions in the first 2 minutes of meeting a person or judge their entire character based on one small act that they did. Yes, we are human and this is far easier said than done, in fact it's almost impossible not to judge someone and that's why its your duty to judge them favourably. It's likely that this isn't the first time you've heard this message yet we tend forget the beauty behind it. The next time you are faced with making judgment, stop, think, and consider if perhaps you are missing one crucial factor, that changes the story from the way it appears. There is nothing more beautiful in this world than putting in the effort to make other people look great, the more we remember to do this the more harmony we will have to live together. This principle requires practice as we are sadly programmed to jump to the wrong conclusions, so for the rest of the day every single person you meet judge them with goodness and you will be amazed how your relationship will be strengthened. Have an awesome week! Darren Zwiers The Quote: Never judge a man by his umbrella. It may not be his -Anonymous