by Joe Stecchi

Created on: October 27, 2007

The Gardener

There was a man who walked by a small garden every day on his way to where he had to go. As he passed, he would notice the most beautiful flower standing alone in the garden. He was so struck by its beauty that he felt he had to possess it and keep it all for himself. He tried to reach in and grab it and as he did he felt the quick sting of the prickly thorns that seemed to surround the flower and pulled his hand back. Each day he would try to pick the flower and time and again would be turned back by the defense of the prickly thorns. So often did this happen that he began to believe that he would never be able to possess such a beautiful flower and was resigned to simply admiring it from afar.

One morning, while walking past the garden, with his hands tucked deeply into his pockets for fear of getting stuck by the prickly thorns, he noticed an innocent hummingbird hovering patiently in front of the flower. As he watched, he saw the hummingbird ease in towards the flower through a path that he had never noticed. Straight in and out went the bird and then flew off, leaving the flower intact. Encouraged by what he had just seen, the man reached in to pick the flower and fit his hand through the small opening. Finally he had been able to reach the flower. Now he felt its beauty and must have it. He put his hand around the stem and tried to pick the flower but as he did he was instantly stung again by the prickly thorns. He pulled back quickly and went on his way, frustrated by his failures.

Each day now, as he would pass the garden, he would reach in through the opening and touch the flower to feel its beauty. As time passed he no longer felt he had to possess it and felt certain that it would always be there. More time passed and he began to notice that as he nurtured the flower through his touch it would grow more and more beautiful. The he began to notice something truly amazing. The more he cared for the flower and the less he wanted to possess it, all of the thorns had fallen off and were no longer in the way. He could now touch the flower from every angle, see its beauty from any point and care for it in many more ways than he had ever known. He no longer wanted to walk past the garden to where he was going for he began to realize that he had nowhere else to go but the garden. He was very happy in this garden and wanted to express his happiness so that others could understand. He placed a sign in the garden that read:

" Beauty possessed is temporary but beauty nurtured is everlasting"

From then on he sat everyday in the garden, caring for his flower and reveling in the peace it brought him.

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