I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job, a flat tyre made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one-ton truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.
When we arrived at his house, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked towards the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree and touched the tips of the branches with both hands.
As the plumber opened the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. After that, he walked me to the car.
As we passed the tree, my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure - those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them.
"Then in the morning I pick them up again.
"The funny thing is," the plumber smiled, "when I come out to pick them up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."
Sent in to Starmag by Dennis Chee
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