Four sons and four seasons

A wise father once knew it was time to pass on one of life's most important lessons to his four sons, not with speeches or commands, but through experience. He wanted them to understand that wisdom is not found in snap judgments or shallow assumptions but in patience, perspective and

- FRANCIS J. KONG

To make this truth unforgettable, he sent each of his sons to observe a distant pear tree each during a different season. The first son journeyed to the tree in winter, the second in spring, the third in summer, and the fourth in autumn.

When they had all returned, the father gathered them and asked what they had seen.

The first son grimaced, recalling a lifeless, twisted tree. "It looked ugly and dead," he said.

"No, it wasn't!" the second son objected. "When I saw it, it was full of green buds, alive with promise."

The third son lit up as he described the summer beauty blossoming in full bloom, with fragrance in the air. "It was the most beautiful tree I've ever seen."

The fourth son smiled and added, "You all missed the best part. When I saw it in fall, it was heavy with fruit — rich, sweet, nourishing."

Their father listened quietly, then said with a gentle smile, "You are all right. Each of you saw only one season in the life of that tree."