A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....12-29-05....The Pear Tree: Lessons in Life

DollyCali | December 29, 2005 | DollyCali

[DollyCali]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

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The Pear Tree

Day’s End, Year’s End, Life’s End
Lessons in Life

There was a man who had four sons. They were all different and 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 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. It looked dead. The harsh winter showed the bare bones existence of a difficult time, where little was nice & all around was cold & painful,

The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The warmth of sunshine & new life was unfolding but the ground around was muddy & dirty. Some of the surrounding trees did not survive the harsh winter.

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, it was surrounded with beauty and there was a rich carpet of soft emeralds underneath the boughs. The dead trees around had been removed & just beauty was there.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment. There were people around enjoy the bounty.. So much bounty that some was rotting on the ground below giving off fermenting odors. The tree was giving to all who wanted but some of the leaves were already falling & brown. It seemed perhaps the tree was dying.

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/one event/one time, 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.

resulting lessons:

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don’t let the pain of one event cloud the present joys available. Therefore don't judge life by one difficult season.

Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later. Don’t judge a person by some things that are out of your comfort zone.

Look at the whole picture of the person. See the spring, summer, fall and winter of this person to see them as God does. Respond to them as God does. Love them as God does.

Understand that the “tickling of your comfort zone” is God’s way of helping you grow as a person

In the year ahead look to yourself to have more patience, more compassion, more forgiveness, more joy, more godliness. Let your life be the tree of beauty, promise & bounty. The tree that will produce fruit.

The end of a day, the end of a year, the end of a life are all milestones & all can be measured. Try to see them each through the eyes of your creator and live them in a worthy manner.

Ecclesiastes 3 -- A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

12-28-05 ~ Hall of Fame #14

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[DollyCali]

Hi Kitty.. read the other day that you are feeling better. I am so very glad to hear that!

Think I am going to stretch out & snooze a bit. Hope to be back but for now feel pretty wiped out...

later FRiends...

(btw.. where are you Meeky????) I am so worried about you.

[MEG33]

Thanks! I love your kitty~ ;)

[lonestar]

The stump grinder came yesterday and where we had a mess, we now have a huge mess. Five huge pine tree stumps had to be ground up and removed and the machinery left deep ruts. Next comes having dirt hauled in and spread. Around here we get in line for everything. I had to wait 2 months for the stump grinder.

The people next door and across the street had to move out of their homes so we're lucky.

Most conversations around here start with, "Where did you go and for how long?" and end with, "We were so lucky!"

I think the emotional part comes after the survival part. The Thursday I drove out of my driveway, it was like a nightmare. Things like this don't happen here--we see this on TV. I was trying to get to my brother's 150 miles due west-- with Houston traffic going north to Dallas between us. I drove north and cut back southwest and had no traffic problems except in one town where traffic was directed.

I had thought we could be staying in a shelter--I had my 89 yr. old bedridden mother to take care of. Then the storm and the shock came--we would not be going home on Sunday. The town had zero electricity and all lines were down between Beaumont and Jasper. We had a tree on our house and no promise of electricity for about 4 weeks. I came home one day after 3 weeks and was not ready for what I saw. We had a light pole and transformers still in the yard and across the driveway.

And things will never look or be the same.

I've been told that Rita affected more people than Katrina. It's an experience that I never, ever want to repeat. The people who stayed say they will leave if another ever comes this way. We were on the dirty side of Rita--had the tornados.

lonestar

Aren't you sorry you asked?!

Weinie

[DollyCali]

Thanks for update. I think those of you involved & with power/computer access should be posting regular threads w/updates & photos. Out of sight./out of mind. People forget too soon & most don't know you are still so depressed.

I don't have cable & did not see the fox programs. Gulfcoast6 on ATRW says that people simply would NOT believe it there. I am not sure if there is any consolation w/the fact that most are in same boa & you share the agony.t.

I cannot imagine your 89 year old mom.. mine at 87 is an invalid & would be beyond myself in that situation. It is hard enough here with utilities, shelter.

Here with the outdoor things that happen, I just leave them be.. we have had many trees fall, all around the house. I simply cannot afford to have them removed.. no insurance coverage on them.. so we make them part of the landscaping & cat play areas.

I lived in Houston for several years. I don't recall any bad storms.. are the other areas ...well, people from other areas in Texas... helping? work crews? church groups? do they know there is a need.

Americans by in large rally if/when there is a need that they know about. I think the lousy media could do it's part.. but NO.. they are too busy w/spreading lies..

thanks Lonestar.. you are in such a lonely situation, it seems. Wish I were in a position financially or physically to help you.

[tuliptree76]

Lovely thread, Dolly! I hope you are having a wonderful day today.

[DollyCali]

DollyCali, Cali & Toby are going to try to catch some Zzzzsss...

Love ya Finest FRiends!

[DollyCali]

Thanks Tulip.. day has been.. well, acceptable. How is that? and with that profound statement of vagueness I will go to sleep. You still on break? (she asks & wont be here for a few hours to respond)

[Aquamarine]

Lovely Post today Dolly. The winter pictures are so pretty although I feel the need to drink some hot chocolate while viewing them. :)

[tuliptree76]

I'm still on break for a couple more weeks. Although, I'm still working on my paper.

Have a good night.

[Aquamarine]

Your pound cake sounds delicious Daisy.
My hickory nut pound cake turned out well but I didn't have the energy to make the icing that day. Made a cheese ball out of the cream cheese that I had bought for it today and rolled it in the extra hickory nuts that I had reserved for the icing (instead of pecans). Will be posting the recipe for the cheese ball on the New Years Post Dutchess is posting soon.

[Aquamarine]

Just saw this reply about the pound cake. Sorry to hear about your plans getting changed and the reason why. The good thing is that this pound cake freezes well. I always slice up the leftover cake into small portions, pop it in the freezer then take out a piece later for breakfast with my coffee. Yum.

[WVNan]

Beautiful Dolly, and so true. Thank you. It's especially significant in light of your recent loss of Oliver.

[WVNan]

Oh groan.......those look so good, even at nearly midnight.

[WVNan]

Daisy!!!!!!! I haven't seen you in ages and ages. How are you doing?

[snugs]

Now that looks like a great prawn (shrimp) cocktail.

[snugs]

I remember deep and wide and the actions to it, do your Sunday School children still sing it and do the actions?

[WVNan]

I prefer to dwell on the bright spots of light but sometimes get drug down to the dark areas.

I think that happens to most of us Dave. The New Year reminds us that we are embarking on another journey filled with unknown events. It's scary and we naturally tend to get down when we are fearful. Every New Year brings that uneasiness to me, as I wonder what life will bring. Let us pray for good health, protection and contentment for all.

[snugs]

I used to be quite out of breath at the end. Did you also do the bit where you just mimed the words but did the actions? We used to do it in a round and try to catch the other half out.

[WVNan]

You're going to do, purpleland. Welcome to the Finest thread on FR. (Violets are my favorite flower.)

[snugs]

I champagne and organge juice in England is called Bucks Fizz