Bea V. Larsen . . . .Commentaries |
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Bea V. Larsen is a Senior Mediator at the Center for Resolution of Disputes in |
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The Cow in the Cottage This entry was posted on 7/26/2006 5:12 PM and is filed under Personally Speaking. My irreligious mother, although a sophisticated
artist in the latter half of her life, was a child in the early years of
the last century, born in what is now the Ukraine. She loved to retell a story she claimed to have
heard at her mother's knee:
A sad, bedraggled, care worn peasant sought the advice of the village Rabbi, complaining bitterly about the overcrowded cottage in which his wife, four children and mother-in-law all lived in just two small rooms. (You can imagine the ways this scene was embellished depending upon the mood and time available for the telling.) The Rabbi's advice: Move your cow into the cottage. Incredulous, but obedient, the peasant did just that. But, one week later, on return to the Rabbi, he complained even more fervently about the intolerable conditions in his home. The Rabbi's advice: Now move the cow out of the cottage and back into the field. The peasant returned the next week bearing gifts and full of gratitude for the wise advice he'd been given, for now his home was more spacious than ever. Moral of the story (personal just for me): I have been posting commentaries on both Wednesdays and Sundays for several months now, causing more stress than wise, as the rest of my life becomes less well managed. So from now on, at least for a while, I am putting the cow out of the cottage, and will only post on Sundays. So, dear loyal reader, we can all take a deep breath. CommentsDisplay comments as (Linear | Threaded)
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