Better Bent Than Broken

Once upon a time, a mighty oak tree stood tall on the bank of a river, its thick, strong trunk nourished by the river’s water. Nearby, a cluster of reeds grew, slender and flexible, their stems bending gently with the breeze. Despite their delicate appearance, the reeds thrived just as well as the oak.

One day, a powerful windstorm swept through the area. The mighty oak, despite its immense strength, could not withstand the gale. The fierce winds snapped it in two, and the oak fell across the stream, broken and defeated. To the oak’s surprise, the reeds remained unharmed, still standing tall.

Confused, the oak turned to the reeds and asked, “How is it that you, being so frail and thin, withstood the fierce winds without any harm? I, strong and sturdy, have been broken!”

The reeds replied softly, “You were proud of your strength and refused to bend when the winds came. But we, though weak and slender, yielded to the storm by bending with the wind. In doing so, we avoided breaking.”

Moral of the story: Sometimes, flexibility and humility are more valuable than sheer strength. It’s better to bend than to break in the face of challenges.