A man hired a carpenter to help him restore an old farmhouse. The carpenter 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 his employer drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited his new boss in to meet his family. As they walked toward the front door, the carpenter 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 his employer to the car. They passed the tree and curiosity got the better of his boss. He asked the carpenter about what he had seen him do earlier.
"Oh, that's my trouble tree," the carpenter replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again."
"Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before".
Source: Unknown. Adapted from The Storybin
Applications: troubles, problems, worry, anxiety, perspective, point of view,
family, work