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 sons went in the winter, the second in the

spring, the third in the summer and the fourth in the

fall.

When they had all gone and returned, 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 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, that 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 only one season

in the tree’s life. He told them that you cannot

judge a tree, or a person, by only one season. 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

… and the 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 … in time.

Aspire to inspire … before you expire. Live simply

~ Love generously ~ Care deeply ~ Speak kindly ~

and leave the rest to God. Happiness keeps us

sweet. Trials keep us strong. Sorrows keep us human.

Failures keep us humble. Success keeps us

growing … but only God keeps us going!

God bless you and keep you in His care through all

the seasons of Life … remember that God is always

here, there and everywhere … especially in the light

of each soul! Peace.