SINCERELY SCOTTY by Walter Scott: One Wish

One Wish     

Unlike the old Arabian Night tales of three wishes, what would you do if you were given only one wish?  What would you select?  No, I don’t mean something broad like world peace; this wish would only be for you and your family.   Would it be wealth? Success? Or something like Love?  I realize that all of these have very subjective definitions.  Each of us would have a different idea of wealth maybe ranging from having enough money to buy our “wants” (which is well above our needs) to simply being a multi-millionaire.  The same could be said for success.  Do you have to be a CEO, prospers business owner, or manager to be successful?

And then there is Love.  How would you go about defining love?  Would it be love for a mate especially if one’s marriage was shaky?  Or would it be love and compassion for everyone – a change in one’s attitude in life?

About now you are wondering if I’m leading up to another story and I am……..

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards in her front yard.

Not recognizing them she said, “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry.  Please come in and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?” they asked.  “No”, she said.  “He’s out.”  “Then we cannot come in”, they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.  “Go tell them I am home and invite them in”, he said.

The woman went out and invited the men in.  “We do not go into the house together,” they replied.  “Why is that?” she wanted to know.

One of the old men explained, “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to the other one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now, go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”

The woman went in and told her husband what was said.  Her husband was overjoyed.  “How nice!” he said.  “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth.  Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”

His wife disagreed.  “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”

Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the room.  She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love?  Our home would then be filled with love!”

“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife.  “Go out and invite Love to be our guest.

So the woman went out and asked the three old men, “Which one of you is Love?  Please come in and be our guest.”  Love got up and started walking toward the house.  The other two also got up and followed him.  Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success, “I only invited Love, why are you coming in?”

The old men replied together, “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would have stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever he goes, we go with him.  Wherever there is love, there is also wealth and success!”     

Perhaps now it may be a bit easier for you to define wealth and success.  It is sometimes difficult to understand that wealth and success are not necessarily measured in terms of money or position of power.

I have known several wealthy and successful people who lacked love and compassion for others.  They were on a single track toward getting more power, more wealth at the expense of others.  They simply invited the wrong one into their lives.

I often think back to my grandparents; they were far from rich, but I never noticed as the love they showed in their small home, showed how wealthy and successful they were.  I am not rich, nor am I in any position of power, but I feel I’m wealthy and successful in many other ways – health  (at least all my parts are still working), good marriage, friends, good kids and grandkids, and I could go on, but you get the idea.

Sincerely, Scotty