Two Boxes

I have in my hands two boxes, which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black, And all your joys in the gold."

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes, both my joys and sorrows I store.

But though the gold became heavier each day, the black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black. I wanted to find out why.

And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole, which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,

"I wonder where my sorrows could be."

He smiled a gentle smile at me.

"My child, they're all here with me."

I asked, "God, why give me the boxes, Why the gold, and the black with the hole?"

"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings, the black is for you to let go."

貧中之富－生活雖然很貧困，卻充滿了人情味、富有愛心，觸目所及的都是一張張親切可愛的臉孔，所聽到的也是充滿人情味的聲音，生活的非常快樂也非常充實，這就是貧中之富的人。

證嚴法師 靜思語