Optimism Thought of the Week

For Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Story of the Peach

By Glennel Hardy

Growing up as a child I spent plenty of time with my great-grandmother, who lived out of state.  I enjoyed spending my spring break and summer vacations with her. In her backyard she had a large peach tree, in which we would pick peaches to make cobbler.  On occasion I would pick up a peach and before I can take a bite of it, I would notice that it looked spoiled.

As I prepared to throw the peach in the trash, my great-grandmother would stop me, and simply carve the spoiled section from the peach.  She would remind me that only one section of the peach was spoiled, but the remaining of the peach was useful.  I would never be allowed to discard the entire peach, but just simply carve one section out, and eat the rest.

This lesson has taught me quite a bit in life about simply removing what doesn’t work, but keeping hold of what does.  Everything and everyone does not have to be discarded, but we must be mindful of what has spoiled, and what/who should be kept.  Simply carve out what is no longer working, but learn to enjoy the peach.