The carpenter I hired to help me restore an
old farmhouse had just
finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made
him lose an
hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient
pickup
truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in
stoney
silence. On arriving, he 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. After
opening
the door, he underwent an amazing transformation, his
tanned face
was wreathed in smiles, and he hugged his two small
children and
gave his wife a kiss. Afterward, 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. "Oh, that's my
trouble tree,"
he replied. "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 up on the tree every
night when I
come home. Then in the morning, I pick them up again."
"Funny thing is," he smiled, "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.
~Author unknown~
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Music
by; The Eagles
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