There is a Yiddish folktale about a poor man who is feeling overwhelmed living in a small hut with his wife, mother, and six children. He thinks life just can’t get any worse so he goes to his Rabbi for advice. The Rabbi instructs the man to bring one of his goats inside the house for a week. A week later the man returns with even worse complaints. So the Rabbi instructs him to add a chicken. Again the man returns distraught, and the Rabbi instructs him to add the family cow into the house. The man returns completely agitated. Then the Rabbi instructs him to release all the animals. A week later the same man returns, joyful and content to be living in such a state of peacefulness.
Life is sometimes stressful and hectic, and we have every reason to feel agitated from time to time. Still, it never hurts to keep a healthy perspective of “It could always be worse” in the back of our thoughts. Sometimes I play a cheering-up game that goes like this: (Fill in the blank.) At least I don’t have to deal with _____________ or _____________.
The other day I was riding in the car with two grumpy kids, and was feeling rather blue myself. I looked out the window and saw a young man riding along the sidewalk in an electric wheelchair. He had no movement below his neck. And I suddenly felt that my troubles were very minor.
There are times when life piles up and feels overwhelming, even when we have loads of blessings. There are times when we feel down and discouraged. But it’s really not that bad, is it? After all, it could always be worse.
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