A Lesson From The Wind and The Willows
Many years ago, the east wind and the west wind, each carried a seed. Side by side, they dropped onto a mountain peak. From the two seeds, sprouted life. Eventually, two willow trees stood; growing upon the peak. As the years went by, each grew at a slant, towards one another.
When the winds blew strong from the east, the willow on the west would straighten. The willow on the east would bend, further, into the west tree. "I’m going to break," whistled the east willow, as the winds tore at it’s leaves.
"I’ll hold you up," whistled the west willow; standing straight and tall.
When the wind picked up from the west, the east tree would straighten up tall, as the west willow leaned into the east. "I’m going to break," whistled the west willow.
"I’ll hold you up," whistled the east willow, standing straight and tall.
This system worked well. That is, until the winds changed direction and would blow from the north, or from the south. At those times, there was no other tree to lean on.
"What do we do now?" whistled the east willow.
The west willow shrugged it’s branches and whistled it’s reply, "I guess we’ll have to dig our roots in and ride out the storm."
That’s exactly what they did. "We’ll not break," they whistled together. The wind blew fiercely, and the willows swayed and twisted, but they did not break.
Somewhere, up on a mountain peak, two willows now stand, straight and tall, with flowing vines. There are some nights, when you might hear a whistling in the breeze. The mournful whistles, which carried this lesson to me.
We won't always have something to lean on. Sometimes, the things that twist us around, straighten us in the end. No matter which way the storm blows, let us not break. If there ever comes a time when I can’t hold you up, we’ll dig in our roots, and ride the gale out together.
A Lesson From The Wind and The Willows, Written in 2000, by Tara Peterson. This story may be copied and passed on, as long as it is not altered in any way, and this paragraph is attached.
