This quote to me seems more of a life lesson. Do good things for other people with the intention of love and kindness, not expecting to benefit from it at all. If you think about it logically, trees take many, many years to grow, so if you plant one you don’t expect to sit in its shade- in fact, you may already be dead by the time it grows! But plant it with the intention that someone else years later may appreciate it- and sit in its shade.
In life, if you make a large gesture that will not benefit you but others in the future when you are gone, this quote is very relatable. Elizabeth Cady Stanton is a good example of this- she is thought of as a leading activist for women’s rights. She, along with Susan B. Anthony, started the campaign for women to be able to vote. She died 18 years before women were granted the right to legally vote, but she had a HUGE impact on the country- and it is still going on today.
On a smaller scale, your efforts don’t have to be as big to you- even helping out a person who is poor on the side of the street could make a big impact. To you, it may seem small and insignificant to give them a $5 bill, but it could give them food for an extra day. Naturally you don’t expect anything back for your kindness, but your intention was to help the person out.
As children we are taught to be kind to people and to be good and not expect rewards for the good behavior- or at least I was taught that way. Kindness should be a given and all too often it isn’t. I found this short story online (I will leave a footnote) and thought it fit perfectly with the quote.
"Two boys walked down a road that led through a field. The younger of the two noticed a man toiling in the fields of his farm, his good clothes stacked neatly off to the side. The boy looked at his older friend and said, “Let’s hide his shoes so when he comes from the field, he won’t be able to find them. His expression will be priceless!” The boy laughed.
The older of the two boys thought for a moment and said, “The man looks poor. See his clothes? Let’s do this instead: Let’s hide a silver dollar in each shoe and then we’ll hide in these bushes and see how he reacts to that, instead.” The younger companion agreed to the plan and they placed a silver dollar in each shoe and hid behind the bushes. It wasn’t long before the farmer came in from the field, tired and worn. He reached down and pulled on a shoe, immediately feeling the money under his foot.
With the coin now between his fingers, he looked around to see who could have put it in his shoe. But no one was there. He held the dollar in his hand and stared at it in disbelief. Confused, he slid his other foot into his other shoe and felt the second coin. This time, the man was overwhelmed when he removed the second silver dollar from his shoe.
Thinking he was alone, he dropped to his knees and offered a verbal prayer that the boys could easily hear from their hiding place. They heard the poor farmer cry tears of relief and gratitude. He spoke of his sick wife and his boys in need of food. He expressed gratitude for this unexpected bounty from unknown hands. After a time, the boys came out from their hiding place and slowly started their long walk home. They felt good inside, warm, changed somehow knowing the good they had done to a poor farmer in dire straits. A smile crept across their souls.”
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