A retired teacher and a young computer specialist lived next door. They were both avid gardeners and often talked about their plants, exchanged ideas and experiences. But they grew their plants in a completely different way. 

The former teacher loved his garden very much, but he never overdid it in caring for flowers and plants, sometimes he did not water them for days, but let the rain water the land.A retired teacher and a young computer specialist lived next door. They were both avid gardeners and often talked about their plants, exchanged ideas and experiences. But they grew their plants in a completely different way.

The former teacher loved his garden very much, but he never overdid it in caring for flowers and plants, sometimes he did not water them for days, but let the rain water the land. From time to time he removed some stubborn weeds from the garden, but in practice he did not take much care and seemed to rely more on nature and its laws. While the young engineer trusted completely the specialized gardening publications and strictly followed all the recommendations: watered the plants regularly, applied special fertilizers and did not leave any excess grass in his beds.At first glance, they both had beautiful gardens, but the young man's flowers were more lush and green, while with the teacher everything seemed much simpler and simpler.

One night a storm broke out with strong winds and torrential rain. In the morning, the two neighbors met while looking at what had happened in their gardens after the storm. 

The young engineer, who was extremely proud of the care he took for his plantations, was surprised to find that all his plants had been uprooted and completely destroyed, and the flowers of the "careless" teacher were just slightly sloping to the ground, but firmly standing. in their places.

"I just can't explain it," he said, approaching the fence that separated their yards. - We both grow almost the same types of plants, but in practice I take much better care of them. I watered them more, weeded them, put special fertilizers on them ... Tell me how do you explain this paradox?

"There's nothing paradoxical about that, my friend," the old teacher smiled innocently. "You did pay too much attention to your flowers, but that stopped them from fighting for themselves." You made it easy for them, and they lost their natural ability to survive in more difficult conditions. Why do you think the wind didn't pluck my flowers? Because I did not water and nourish them too much and left their roots to look for extra moisture in the soil. Thus, they have developed stronger and deeper roots that now hold them firmly in the ground.

"I'm impressed with this theory ... it really made me think," the young neighbor said.

"You know, these are basic laws of nature," the teacher continued. - Excessive care is not always the best. The strongest and most resilient are those who receive constant but moderate attention. You may have forgotten, but I've been a teacher for 40 years. And I have watched the upbringing and growth of thousands of children. And children are like flowers ... they need love as much as flowers need light and warmth. But if you give them everything ready, they stumble at the first storm of life, because they do not learn to cope alone. The most important thing is strong foundations, and they are created by struggle.

The more aware the parents become, the happier and more successful the children are.

"If you want your children to have a good life, let them endure a little hunger and cold."

Chinese wisdom 

Shared with joy 

A. A. 

Stob, Bulgaria