Paresh, an Indian carpenter I once hired to help me restore
my old farmhouse had just finished a difficult and hard first day on the job. A
flat tyre on his lorry made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw packed
in, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home,
Paresh sat in stony, thoughtful silence. On arriving, Paresh, in the way of all
Indian gentlefolk, invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the
front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the
branches with both hands.
When opening the door to his home, he underwent an amazing
transformation. His tanned face wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children
and gave his wife a kiss. After a cup of tea, he walked me to my car. We passed
the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had
seen him do earlier. And Paresh replied, “Oh, that's my trouble tree. I know I can't
help having troubles on the job, but one thing for sure troubles don't belong
in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them on the tree every
night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.” Then he
smiled winningly and added, “Funny thing is, when I come out in the morning to
pick them up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night
before.”
Morals of the story:
1.
You can leave your worries behind when you get home
daily. Your home is your ultimate refuge.
2.
Things are often not as bad as we imagine them
to be at the outset.
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