Lessons of Life

A man had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So each season he sent one of them on a quest, to go out and look at a distant pear tree. The first son went out in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer and the fourth in the fall.

When they had all returned from the journey, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said, “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 “It was full of blossoms, smelled so sweet, and looked so beautiful.”

The last son disagreed with them all. He said “It was ripe with fruit and full of life!”

The father explained to his sons, that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life.


You cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season. The essence of who you are and the pleasure, joy, and love that comes from life can only be measured at the end. Give up in winter, and you will miss the promise of spring, the beauty of summer and the fulfillment of fall.

Be slow to judge through the difficult times, as better times will come sooner than later.

Author: Unknown