Planting a Difference

A father and his seven year old son were walking down their street one summer afternoon. A refreshing breeze flowed around their bodies and upon the trees making them dance their most famous, yet classic fluid movements. All of the trees were the greatest shade of green and moved in sync with each other. The son was looking around the trees with a puzzled look on his face. The father asked, "What are you thinking about?"

The son replied, "Dad, why are all the trees the same?"

"Actually they are not all the same. Some are oak, pine, maple, and many more. They just look the same but not exactly," answered the dad.

"But they should look different to tell them apart, right?" asked the son. Stumbling at first to find his words, the father responded. "Well son," clutching him closer and motioning, "trees are sort of like people. We are all different. Yet, we try to fit in. Once we do, we are hard to distinguish between everybody else. We all start to do the same dance, same movements, same clothes, same everything. We do this in order to be inclusive of everything. But when the day comes, we have to show our true colors. In the season of fall where the trees are toward the end of being lively and full of health, they start to change colors. Remember? At this time they want to show who they really are. So they change colors. Some are more fascinating than others even though right now they may seem indifferent from everything else. It’s at this time that they want to show what they truly are right before they have to lose all they can show. Sadly, it is a short time before they all look the same again.

“We are like this, son. At the brink of decision, we have to show who we truly are. That is where we become unafraid of what other people think about us. We talk before that time about being different from everyone else, but we never do. We are too afraid of being made fun of or anything like that. I tell you now, don’t be afraid. You are blessed with a great personality and you need to express uniqueness to everyone you know. It doesn’t matter if people laugh at you when you do that, they are just covering up their jealousy of trying to be that type of person you are. Don’t be a tree, son. Dance to your own tune. Make up your own steps. Show your own colors every day.”

The father looked down upon his son with a smile on his face. At first the son still had a troubled look on his face. But then he hugged his dad. He learned a special lesson that he was never about to forget.

“Hey dad, you talk too much for a guy like you. . . . Thanks.”