TROUBLES

The carpenterI hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire had caused him to miss an hour of work, his electric saw quit and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.
As I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. When we arrived he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked to the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles, he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed by the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my trouble tree", he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, they don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So, I just hang them on the tree when I come home in the evening and then I pick them up again in the morning."
"Funny thing though," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there ain't nearly as many as I remembered hanging there the night before."

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