Four seasons: the measure of life

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
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." The second
son said no - "it was covered with green buds and full of promise." The
third son disagreed, he said that "it was laden with blossoms that
smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most gracious 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. 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 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...

From: JeanAustria@astec-power.com