Once upon a time, you were disappointed with your life. You worked hard all the time without success or satisfaction.

One day, feeling very frustrated and tired, you walked away from your home and took yourself into the forest. Or to the top of a mountain. Or into the crowded city streets.

There you encountered a wise woman, though you didn’t yet know she was wise.

“I’m so glad that our paths have crossed,” she said to you, out of the blue. “What brings you here?”

Touched by the stranger’s kindly spirit, you confessed to her your discouragement. She was a deep, un-judgemental listener.

When you’d finished your story, you tossed your hands in the air and said, “Why shouldn’t I just give up?”

The wise woman pointed nearby where two plants were growing. “You see that fern and that Chinese bamboo? I gave both of them all that they required to grow. The fern grew quickly. The bamboo did not.”

“But the bamboo tree is so tall!” you exclaimed, craning your neck to see the top.

The wise woman laughed. “I nurtured it for four years with nothing to show for it. In the fifth year, it grew almost ninety feet within two months.”

Your jaw drops open in amazement. “How is that possible?”

“The little tree first had to grow in a hidden way. It had to develop a strong root system for the day when it would stretch into the sky.”

She smiled gently. “There is only one thing more patient than the waiting sky.”

“What?” you asked.

“The ground where you plant your feet.”

(My thanks to the old storytellers who passed on this tale so I could retell it in my own way.)