20th April 2025
On a visit to another town, a friend invited me to his house.
He came to pick me up & I noticed he looked harried, tired & under stress.
On asking the reason,
He mentioned, he had a bad day since morning.
He had
* a flat tire
* the electric motor at his factory developed a fault & will need replacement
* his old car broke down.
* his tiffin got spoilt
* he lost his wallet
* his bank was calling for loan repayments
I realised, in all the tension & stress he had still decided to meet me.
Enroute to his home, he sat silently, but I could notice his agony& restlessness.
As we walked toward the front door, he paused at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands & closed his eyes.
When the door opened, he was smiling & happy.
In seconds, he underwent an amazing transformation.
He hugged his two children, gave his wife a kiss, laughed, & never even slightly made them feel the troubles that he had encountered that day.
I was astonished & curious. Seeing my inquisitive eyes he said, “Oh, that’s my ‘Trouble Tree,’ my best friend, my trouble carrier for the night”.
He went on, “I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure. Those troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them.
Then in the morning I pick them up again.”
He smiled & shared a secret, “When I come out in the morning to pick ’em up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging there the night before!!”
Life may be a burden of worries, but there is a way to keep our loved ones untouched from these worries.
Time will heal every wound, let’s not let the scars affect our family& relationships.
The ritual of hanging troubles on the tree symbolizes a powerful spiritual practice—a practice of releasing burdens & reclaiming inner peace.
The act of leaving troubles outside, separated from the sanctuary of home, embodies a spiritual principle—a principle that emphasizes the importance of creating sacred spaces within our lives, spaces that nurture love, harmony & tranquility.
It signifies the conscious decision to not let the trials of the world invade the sanctity of family life.
Moreover, the revelation that the troubles seem lighter in the morning resonates with a deeper spiritual truth—the truth that our perception & attitude towards challenges profoundly impacts their weight & influence in our lives. It reflects the transformative power of a positive mindset, suggesting that by releasing our attachment to worries & troubles, they lose their hold over us, diminishing in their impact & allowing space for resolution & growth.
It’s a reminder of our innate capacity to choose how we respond to life’s challenges. It encourages us to adopt a perspective that allows us to navigate the ebb & flow of life’s trials with grace & resilience. It beckons us to cultivate an awareness that enables us to distinguish between that which we can change & that which we must release, fostering an inner sanctuary untouched by the storms of life.
Now, whenever Iam tense, I look for a ‘Trouble Tree’ to hang my troubles for the night & when I pick them up in the morning, half of them have vanished.
Find your ‘Trouble Tree,’ Don’t carry your problems inside your house & stay blessed forever.