Good Corn

This painting is one of four I did for my son, based on Vivaldi Four Seasons, this one being spring. We have certainly been having beautiful spring weather and for the first time, I can ever remember, I have cut my lawns in February. 

The farmers around us have been busy ploughing the fields and some have already planted carrot seeds under cover. Sure signs that we are moving on.

As I walked and watched all this activity I was reminded of a story to my story.

There was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the county fair where it most often won the top award.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours. 

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from a field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbour's corn also improves.

So it is in other dimensions. 

Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbours to be at peace. 

Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. 

And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. 

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbours grow good corn.
 

Have a marvellous day.