There was once a man who had four sons. He wanted to teach his sons not to judge too fast and not to give up easily. So, he sent each one of the boys on their way to the same pear tree that was far from their village. The first son had to go in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer, and the youngest son in the autumn.

When everyone visited the tree and returned, the father gathered them and asked them to describe what they saw. The first son said the tree was ugly, bent, and distorted. The second son said that it was not possible that to be the same tree he had found - he had seen a tree covered with green buds and a promise of fertility. The third son said that what his brothers saw was not the tree - he saw the pear all blooming and radiant, spreading sweet aroma, the tree was so beautiful that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful tree he has ever seen. The youngest son said he saw a totally different tree – full of fruits all over, a symbol of complete life and satisfaction.

The father listened to the stories of his sons and told them that each of them was right and they all saw the same tree. Just every boy has visited the pear during a different season of the year. That was also the lesson he wants to convey to them - one cannot judge both the trees and the people for one season. Their true nature - as well as the joy and love they bring - is a result we can only see at the end of the year when all the seasons have passed.

If you decide to opt out in the winter, you will miss the promise of a new life that comes with spring; the beauty and warmth of the summer; and the abundance of autumn. Do not let the pain and difficulty of a season or period of your life destroy your long-term happiness.