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The
Worry Tree
The
carpenter I
hired to help me restore and 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 stony 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. When opening the door, he underwent
an amazing transformation. His tanned face wreathed in smiles and
he
hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
Afterward he walked me to
the 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 worry
tree", he replied. "I know I can't help
having
worries and troubles on the job, but one thing for sure, they 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."
"Funny thing is", he
smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick
'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up there the
night
before."
Defining
Moments
Archives
Copyright
© 2006, Jace Carlton. All International Rights Reserved.
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