The Old Man & the Flower

Everyone in town knew about the Old Man who lived in the mountains. He would rise with the Sun, walk to the top of the mountain & then back down before Sunset. He would do this religiously everyday.

Before returning home he would always stop by his favorite location. It was the only place in the region where his favorite flower grew. He would pick it from the ground & bring it home with him. Although he fed it the freshest water & placed it in the nicest vases, the flowers would always die with time. 

It wasn't long before the Old Man seen his mistake. He learned to admire it & to love it for what it is, a flower. He realized that by removing it from the ground & claiming ownership, he would bring death to it. For he so much loved the flower that he stopped bringing it home.

Now he cherishes it. Bringing it the richest water the mountain has to offer. 

Like the Old Man, many of us want to capture & possess all that makes us happy. As spiritual beings (souls) having a human experience, we must learn to love & let be. We have an almost animal instinct inside us that forces us to conquer & control. That's where to true challenge lies. Can we ultimately be like the Old Man, who learned to love the flower enough to let it live? Even if it meant he couldn't bring it home with him.