How Long Will We Swat the Wasps?

This is a story that a friend of mine sent me from a book she was reading. I really like the message, so I thought I'd share:

"Dear Emily,

People will tell you that if you leave wasps alone, they will leave you alone. Poppycock! Those people have never spent much time in a garden. I have been stung countless times when I was just minding my own business. Did it keep me from enjoying my garden? Only once. It dawns on me, Emily, that a wasp sting teaches an important lesson in life. Let me explain.

One day while working in my garden, a wasp landed on my shoulder. When I tried to brush him aside, I flicked him onto my neck where he promptly stung me. I'd been stung before, but this was one sting too many. Angry, I went to the shed and I grabbed a can of spray and a fly swatter. I covered my face with cheesecloth and put on a hat to cover my bald head. I pulled on a thinck long-sleeved shirt and snatched a pair of gloves. I was headed to the garden for a war. My mission was to eliminate any wasp that buzzed within fifty yards of my garden. Two hours later, the potatoes were still full of weeds that hadn't been hoed, the water hadn't been turned on, and I hadn't fertilized the carrots. It didn't matter; I was going to kill all the wasps God ever created: and I had done a great job. I had killed dozens of them. The problem was that they never seemed to go away. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, waving and swatting and apraying and jumping around. It took me half a day to realized how crazy I was being. There would always be more wasps than I could kill, and I was miserable.

Life is the same. There will be times when you are minding your own business, hurting no one. Then someone will come along and sting you. You have two choices. One is to get angry and waste days of your life swatting at anyone who looks threatening: if you do, you'll find when you're through, you've accomplished nothing. The better path is to protect yourself the best you can, and enjoy your garden. When you get stung it will hurt; you may cry and wonder what you have done to deserve such treatment. Let it end there. Take a deep breath, place a dab of wet mud on the sting, wipe your tears, and put a smile back on your face. Turn back to your garden and enjoy the beauty before you. I hope this makes sense. Now, go tend to your garden and enjoy it immensely.

Love, Grandpa Harry"