Good advice does not come easily.

Another Version of My Tiger Painting.

I thank those who in the past few days have offered me much in the way of encouragement and thoughtful and caring advice.

It is good to know that so many friends care when life is not going as expected. At last, I am beginning to see around the corner and with each day feeling just a little better and a little stronger. 

Advice is a wonderful thing but like everything else, it is not always heeded. There are those who are good at giving advice but not so good at taking it. Those who listen and those who ignore. It is also never so obvious where advice that is worthy of listening to comes from. There is the old saying, "Out of the mouths of Babes."

Here is a little tale that helps to make my point.

Once upon a time, there was a giant tree in the forest. Many many birds lived in this tree. And the wisest of them was their leader.

One day the leader bird saw two branches rubbing against each other. They were making wood powder come falling down. Then he noticed a tiny wisp of smoke rising from the rubbing branches. He thought, "There is no doubt fire is starting that may burn down the whole forest."

So the wise old leader called a meeting of all the birds living in the great tree. He told them, "My dear friends, the tree we are living in is beginning to make a fire. This fire may destroy the whole forest. Therefore it is dangerous to stay here. Let us leave this forest at once!"

The wise birds agreed to follow his advice. So they flew away to another forest in a different land. But the birds who were not so wise said, "That old leader panics so easily. He imagines crocodiles in a drop of water! Why should we leave our comfortable homes that have always been safe? Let the scared ones go. We will be brave and trust in our trees!"

Lo and behold, in a little while the wise leader's warning came true. The rubbing branches made sparks that fell in the dry leaves under the tree. Those sparks became flames that grew and grew. Soon the giant tree itself caught fire. The foolish birds who still lived there were blinded and choked by the smoke. 

Many, who could not escape, were trapped and burned to death.

Advice is not always easy to accept but it is often wise to listen.

Have a great day.