It's Hard When You're The Donkey

A farmer's donkey fell into a well and cried for hours as the farmer struggled with what to do. The man decided his animal was old, the well needed to be covered and it wasn't worth retrieving the donkey. He invited neighbors to assist, and they each shoveled dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey shrieked at the realization that they were trying to kill him, but soon he quieted down. After a few shovel loads the farmer looked down the well and was surprised by what he saw. As the neighbors shoveled dirt on top of the donkey's back, it shook the load off and took a step up onto the freshly piled dirt. Everyone was amazed when the donkey stepped over the edge of the well and trotted away.

Life shovels all kinds of dirt upon us. The key to dealing with difficulties is to see each of our troubles as a stepping stone. We can climb out of the deepest of wells by never giving up, shaking off the dirt, and taking a step up. Thomas Aquinas said that wisdom is a view from the hilltop. We can choose to be wise and enjoy the view by stepping up rather than than being buried as the mountain is formed one shovel full at a time. With each successive load that we shake off our task becomes easier and our goal more attainable.

(I heard this story years ago and in writing it up referenced and adapted these two online versions (1,2)