4 Seasons of a Tree
A man wanted his 4 sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go & look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.
The 1st son went in the winter, the 2nd in the spring, the 3rd in summer, & the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone & come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.
The 1st son said that the tree was ugly, bent, & twisted. The 2nd son said no — it was covered with green buds & full of promise. The 3rd 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 & 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 1 season, and that the essence of who they are & 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.
The pain of one season should not tarnish the joy of all the rest. Don’t judge life by one difficult season.
“The most self-destructive thought that any person can have is thinking that he or she is not in total control of his or her life. That’s when, ‘Why me?’ becomes a theme song.” — Roger Dawson
The Season That Is Yet to Come
Abraham Lincoln’s journey to become the 16th President Of The United States was incredible.
1809 — He was born, Sunday, February 12, in Nolin Creek near Hodgenville, Kentucky. He was named after his grandfather.
1811–12 — Abraham’s younger brother, Thomas died. Abraham attended a log schoolhouse with his sister. At home he heard the scriptures read from the family Bible.
1816 — He had to work to support his family after they were forced out of their home.
1818 — Mother died on October 5th.
1826 — Abraham’s sister, Sarah, died in childbirth on January 28.
1827 — Abraham get to keep his own earning — his first dollar ferrying passengers to a steamer on the Ohio River.
1831 — Failed in business. [ Abraham left home to go his own way in life. On August 1, he cast his first ballot. ]
1832 — Was defeated while running for the Illinois State Legislature on August 6th.
— Lost his job and couldn’t get into law school.
1833 — Became Postmaster of New Salem.
— Declared bankruptcy & spent the next 17 years of his life paying off the money he borrowed from friends to start his business.
1834 — Ran for the Illinois State Legislature and was elected. On December 1 Lincoln took his seat.
— Was defeated for legislature again.
1835 — Was engaged to be married, but his sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
1836 — Had a nervous breakdown and spent the next 6 months in bed.
— Was re-elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. On September 9th, he was licensed to practice law.
1838 — Was defeated in becoming the speaker of the state legislature.
1840 — Was defeated in becoming elector.
1843 — Was defeated for Congress
1846 — Was defeated for Congress.
1848 — Was defeated for Congress again.
1849 — Was rejected for the job of Land Officer in his home state.
1850 — Lincoln’s son, “Eddie,” died on February 1.
1854 — Was defeated for Senate.
1856 — Was defeated for Vice-President — got less than 100 votes.
1858 — Was defeated for Senate for the third time.
1861 — Was elected president of the United States at the age of 52.
1865 — The Lincolns attended the play Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre on April 14th. Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at about 10–15 P.M. He died the next morning at 7:22 A.M. Lincoln’s body was buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery .
In the book, “The Unknown Lincoln”, it reveals a life no less extraordinary to which any man can endure. Most people would have given up earlier. Yet, I was reminded that Michelanglo did some of his best paintings when past 80.
Goethe wrote Faust when past 80. Picasso, past 85, dominates the art world. Shaw was still writing plays at 90. Why do some people keep going while the rest give in and give up before they can experience the seasons fully, especially the season that is yet to come, for themselves?
“I have learned to use the word ‘impossible’ with the greatest caution.” — Wernher von Braun
Who you are and what you do will always speak far more convincingly than the words you have to say. Let your life do the speaking, and the message will come through loud and clear. — Unknown