Sarala was a woman like many others, balancing the demanding act of career and family. Every morning, she and her husband would leave their small home to face the world. Her husband, an office employee, would step into a battlefield of corporate targets, relentless deadlines, and the unspoken rivalry of colleagues. His boss, sharp-tongued and unappreciative, only added to his mental burden.
Sarala worked at a private company where things weren’t much better. She often found herself running around to meet the never-ending demands of her role. The pressure of work was like a constant storm over her head. By evening, both would return home drained, but their day’s battles were far from over.
At home, the chaos resumed. Sarala would jump straight into cooking dinner while her husband and children bombarded her with complaints and demands. Whether it was her husband asking for tea or her kids needing help with homework or arguing about trivial things, the house became a war zone. Her patience wore thin, and frustration clouded her once-cheerful demeanor. Her husband, meanwhile, grew more irritable by the day, and her children started rebelling, reflecting the tension that lingered in the air.
Sarala began to feel trapped in her life. “Is this all there is?” she often wondered. She loved her family deeply but couldn’t shake the growing void in her heart.
The Turning Point
One day, the faucet in the kitchen broke. Water dripped endlessly, and Sarala decided to call a plumber. The plumber, a middle-aged man with weathered hands and a calm face, arrived late. Sarala, already annoyed by the delay, asked sharply, “What took you so long?”
The man apologized softly. “Madam, my bicycle tire got punctured on the way here. Then, the lunch I had packed spilled when I hit a bump. To top it off, my drill broke, and somewhere along the road, my wallet slipped out of my pocket.”
Sarala was taken aback by his response. “How are you even managing to work after all that?” she asked, her tone softening.
The plumber smiled faintly and replied, “Madam, life has its troubles. We can either carry them on our shoulders or leave them aside for a while and keep moving. I choose the latter.”
Intrigued by his calmness despite such a difficult day, Sarala watched as he meticulously fixed the faucet. When he was done, she felt an odd sense of respect for him and offered to drop him home on her scooter. He hesitated but eventually agreed.
The Problem Tree
As they reached the plumber’s modest home, Sarala noticed something unusual. Just outside his house stood a tree with thick green leaves, swaying gently in the breeze. The plumber stopped near the tree, placed his work bag down, and did something Sarala had never seen before. He gently touched the tree’s leaves, stroked them as though greeting an old friend, and then hung his bag on a branch. He closed his eyes for a moment, exhaled deeply, and walked into his house.
What followed left Sarala speechless. The man who had been burdened with troubles all day transformed in an instant. His face lit up with a broad smile as he stepped inside. He hugged his children, who came running to greet him, and warmly embraced his wife, who welcomed him with a smile. “Make us some tea, dear,” he said affectionately, and the house filled with laughter and lightness.
Sarala stood outside, watching through the open door, stunned by the transformation. She couldn’t resist asking him about the tree. “What did you do out there?” she asked when he came out to see her off.
The plumber’s eyes sparkled as he explained, “That tree is my problem tree. Every day, before I enter my home, I leave all my troubles on that tree. I don’t let the day’s worries step inside with me. My family deserves my love, not my frustration. The tree carries my burdens for the night, and when I take my bag in the morning, I find the weight of my troubles has somehow lightened.”
A Philosophy for Life
Sarala was deeply moved. Here was a man who lived a life much harder than hers, yet he had found a way to shield his family from the storms of his world. He had turned a simple tree into a symbol of peace, a sacred space where he left his worries behind.
On her way back, Sarala kept thinking about the problem tree. Her home, too, had been drowning in negativity, not because of any one person but because they had all let the weight of the outside world seep into their lives. Her husband’s anger, her own frustrations, and the children’s rebellion—all were echoes of the same burden.
That night, Sarala decided to create her own problem tree. She didn’t have a real tree outside her home, but she found a spot near the door where she mentally “hung” her worries before stepping inside. Over time, she noticed a change. She greeted her family with a smile, and slowly, they began responding in kind. The dinner table became a place for laughter, and her home felt lighter, warmer.
The Universal Lesson
The story of the problem tree isn’t just about Sarala or the plumber. It’s a lesson for all of us. Every home is a sanctuary, a place meant to nurture love, not carry the burdens of the outside world. Problems are like storms—they come and go. But if we let them invade our homes, they can erode the foundation of happiness.
The plumber’s tree is a metaphor—a reminder to find a way to leave your worries at the doorstep, whether through a real tree, a quiet prayer, or a mental ritual. Life may never be free of challenges, but how we manage them defines our peace.
Always remember:
Happiness is not about having everything perfect; it’s about cherishing what you have.
Let’s all find our own problem tree and make our homes a haven of joy.
Stay happy. Stay grateful.
What you have is enough.