There’s an old tale about two friends walking through the desert. At some point along their journey they begin to argue and one slaps the other in the face. The friend who was slapped was hurt but didn’t react – instead he silently wrote in the sand the words: “My best friend slapped me in the face today.”

Later on in their travels the two encountered an oasis. They stopped to rest and bathe but the friend who had been hurt got stuck and began to drown. His friend reached out and saved him – dragging him to safety. After recovering he walked to a stone and carved the following words: “My best friend saved my life today.”

Confused, the other asked him, "Why is it that earlier you wrote in the sand yet now you carve in stone?”

The other replied "When we experience hurt from another we should write it down in sand so the winds of forgiveness can blow the memory away. But, when someone does something good for us, we should memorialize it in stone so no wind can erase it."

It can be easy to focus on the pains or challenges we experience in life. But like the character above, I’d rather set the good stuff in stone and let the others blow away in the wind.

It’s a good life!

Brian