The fable of the seed and the tree

Photo by Michael Balint, found here

One day a seed and a tree fell in love. The seed turned to the tree and said: “Love me as I am.” The tree replied: “I love you too much to do that.”

Then the seed one day broke open and a shoot made its way out of the soil towards the sun. The shoot turned to the tree and said: “Love me as I am.” To which the tree replied: “I love you too much to do that.”

Time passed and the shoot grew branches and leaves and became a young tree. The young tree turned to the other tree and said: “Love me as I am.” To which the other tree replied: “I love you too much to do that.”

The years passed and the young tree outgrew in height and girth the other tree that loved him so much that it couldn’t love it for what it was. Its leaves were twice the number, its branches had three times more ripe acorns. Its roots went four times deeper. It was no longer a young tree, but one that had outgrown the tree that loved it. The outgrown tree now turned to the seed that had become a bigger tree and said: “Love me as I am.” To which the bigger tree replied: “I love you too much to do that.”