Not long ago there was a big tree.
Under it lived a small tree.
The big tree used to give protection to the small tree by its trunk, shade by its leaves, and nourishment by its roots.
The smaller tree which was just an offshoot of the bigger one, lived rejoicing having someone so immense around it.
As they continued to live together, the bigger tree kept on showering its blessed petals on its younger one.
Joyously he would look at his little one spurting new branches spreading its existence, dressing up in new leaves, and swaying with abandon to life.
Life seemed like an eternal journey of blissful togetherness that would never end.
But sadly one day it ended.
One evening the big tree withered away.
And for the first time, the small tree slept alone under the open skies saying “twinkle-twinkle “and wondering where its big tree had gone.
Dawn came and broke through the darkness revealing to the small tree a reality it had never seen before.
There were wild animals everywhere.
The wind howled and threatened to uproot it.
Sun began shining menacingly, scorching its tender leaves.
For the first time, the small tree realised its smallness.
Unable to bear the harsh real world, it started dropping its leaves
Its branches, once springy, now turned spindly.
The parched trunk bent and was almost on the verge of giving up,
And then, the small tree felt some water around its roots.
It soon realised that the big tree had flushed its feet before dying,
Hungry, it drank the water,
Drawing it up,
Letting it spread to its peripheries.
Once again, its branches came to life.
The remaining leaves sprang back.
Finally, the trunk straightened
And started gathering width and height
Since then the once-small tree has been surviving
Growing, albeit little by little.
It doesn’t know for how long and how much it will be able to grow, but it knows it will do anything to survive.
Now, two small saplings are growing under it.
At one time, I was part of a perfect story,
But then I became part of a perfect storm.
Moral of the Story
What went wrong?
Some relationships are worth celebrating forever.
Sometimes we get so engrossed in the celebration that we fall into a trance. And thus forget some basic laws of life
- One is the law of universal existence —- the impermanence of everything and that everything born will die.
- Worldly law of existence —the reality of survival. Money is important to the survival and growth of you and your loved ones.
Both laws need to be kept in mind so that we develop and savour relationships to the maximum ‘as long as they last.’