Sand and stone
This story tells of two friends walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.
The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:
“Today, my best friend slapped me in the face.”
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath.
The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:
“Today, my best friend saved my life.”
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now, you write on a stone. Why?”
The other friend replied, “When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. When someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone, where no wind can ever erase it.”
Learn to write your hurts in sand, and to carve your benefits in stone.
November 2nd, 2006 11:24
An old lady once told me the best way to avoid being offended is not to take offence. Sand is a good way to do it, too. As for you, I always write in stone, Dear Daisy. Hope you are back up and feeling much better.
November 2nd, 2006 13:38
Keith Richard’s tattooist has the right idea.
November 2nd, 2006 17:14
Good ideals. Difficult to do– sadly.
November 3rd, 2006 23:48
Oh I like this. Given that I’m a nasty vindictive person too much of the time, I should try and take this lesson to heart. Hmmmm!
November 3rd, 2006 23:50
Sorry, meant to say … Hope you’re muchly better? Here’s hoping your firing on all cylinders again. :-)
November 4th, 2006 03:32
I wish I could remember these kinds of parables when I need to.