The Mountain and the Wind

This is a nice little parable I thought I'd share.

Quote :

The Mountain and the Wind

The Mountain stood very tall and strong. In the winter it was covered with snow, which it wore like a glistening crown. In the summer when the snow melted, it provided crevices for the water to flow down and nourish everything beneath it. It was a stable home for plants, animals and people, never shifting in its bold magnificence.

The Wind could never find a home. It drifted aimlessly through the valleys, taking the easiest route without a sense of belonging anywhere. When it came across an obstacle, it either blew around it or blew the obstacle out of its way. It didn't seem to nourish or provide a safe harbor for anything.

The Mountain couldn't relate to the Wind, and the Wind couldn't relate to the Mountain. They were so very different. The Mountain got annoyed when the Wind blew down some of its rocks and soil. The Wind got annoyed when the Mountain prevented it joyous dance with its sturdy high crests.

One day a child was hiking up the Mountain. She got out of breath making the climb, cursing the Mountain for being so tall. She lost her hat when the Wind blew it into a valley, and cursed the Wind too. Then she suddenly saw a butterfly basking in the sun on a leaf, not disturbed by either the Mountain or the Wind. "What a silly butterfly!", she thought.

All of a sudden, a gust of Wind blew so hard she thought she might be thrown down over a cliff, so she dropped to the ground and hugged the Mountain. Maybe the Mountain wasn't so bad after all. Then the rock she was holding on to started falling, and a gust of Wind blew her back up to solid ground. Maybe the Wind wasn't so bad after all.

Within each of us there's a Mountain and the Wind.

~Rene

Nice!