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THE
TROUBLE TREE
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 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 was
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 trouble tree," he replied.
"I know I can't help having
troubles on the job, but one thing's for
sure, troubles 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."
He paused. "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 the night before."
~~~~Author Unknown ~~~~
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