A Happy Story With A Meaning

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job.  A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.  While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.  
On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family.  As we walked toward 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, and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.  Afterward, he walked me to the car.  We passed 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 for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children.  So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home.  Then in the morning, I pick them up again."  
"Funny thing is," he smiled," when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up,  there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."  
This is the time of year that turkeys come out of the woods gobbling and nibbling at our coattails.  We should ignore the turkeys and remember to soar like an eagle over the hills and valleys of our lives.  Negative complaints should be viewed as learning experiences or completely ignore the *&$# bastards.  It is true that an unhappy person would rather put others down than deal with their own personal issues.  My Feedback to you is to waste as little time as possible worrying about the negativity.  
As my Uncle Noah, the boat salesman always said to me, "No matter how the wind blows hot or cool, you will always sail forward."   
True happiness is finding someone who will put up with you.  It's no accident that stressed spelled backwards is desserts.  Some days you're the dog, some days you're the hydrant.

GAELIC BLESSING

May those who love us, love us
And those that don't love us,
May God turn their hearts;
And if He doesn't turn their hearts
May He turn their ankles
So we'll know them by their limping 

Author Unknown