Lilypie - Personal pictureLilypie First Birthday tickers

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Never underestimate the little weed

In the midst of our hustle and bustle daily life, lets take a moment to slow down and recap what has happened to the surroundings as we moved on.

There was this very beautiful garden at the border of time, where all kinds of flowers bloomed in the glorious splendour amidst a profusion of colours. The trees bore fruits so succulent and luscious, they were open invitations to be picked.

This paradise on earth became a shelter for people caught in the throes of everyday living. In the morning, they rejoiced with the dew-tipped flowers as they lifted up their heads to greet the victorious sun back from its eternal battle with the night.

The afternoon changed it into a haven for those who need to pause for breath from a pulsating rat race. The magic wand of evening transformed it into a playground of childhood joys, and a wonderland of peace and beauty for tired minds and weary souls. At night, a fairy tale came true as it turned into a world of romance for starry-eyed lovers.

So this garden became indispensable to everyone in need of consolation in care-worn world. One day, the garderner found a little weed growing in the midst of that otherwise perfect garden. But he shrugged and said," It's only a little weed, what harm can it do?" So he left it alone and went about his other chores. In the still of the night, ten other weeds sprouted in an obscure corner of the garden. The next day, a few more patches of weeds appeared in various parts of the compound. Because they were hidden by the overhanging branches of the trees, they were able to multiply unseen.

When the garderner finally spotted the weeds, they had already formed a deeply woven network like a carefully stitched tapestry, on the ground. The patch that he managed to clear during the day increased during the night. And the more the cleared, the more they multiplied,. They became so numerous that they began to suffocate the small and growing plants. Then, as they grew taller and stronger, they attacked the big plants and the deeply-entwined roots of the trees.

Soon thorns appeared among the weeds and began stabbing and piercing their way through the chaos. The flowers withered away, the plants died at the onslaught, and the stalwart trees met with defeat at the hands of the snarling, clawing weeds and razor sharp thorns; which never seemed to stop growing on their relentless path of destruction and mayhem.

The garden became a wild jungle in the middle of a civilised world. No one dared to venture in, for fear of being attacked by the lawless weeds. It was no longer a haven of beauty and tranquillity,but an ugly untamed wasteland; an eyesore and shame of progress, condemned but could not be got rid of.

All because someone underestimated a little weed.

Well, this is indeed a thought-provoking tale and it has knocked some sense into me. The best way this tale can relate to is a growing child. A world that you see through a child's eye is magical kingdom surrounded by sunshines and hopes. Under the uncompromising care and undivided attention, a child can be nurtured to become a young man who excels in every field. However, just like the little weed, if you let the child alone and take the surroundings for granted, the child will absorb every little input that surrounds him regardless of good or bad energy that these inputs bring. Soon it will be too late to realize that your once innocent little angel has turned into a horrifying eyesore to manhood. For those of you who are gifted with children, treasure them so that you'll be treasured at the end of the day.

No comments: