My friend Wendy used to be very emotional and overly cautious. But in recent years, she has undergone an astonishing transformation.
One day, when we met up, she shared a story that showed me just how much she has changed.
At the end of last year, Wendy finally decided to buy her daughter-in-law the new car she had dreamed of for so long. The whole family welcomed the New Year with excitement and joy.
That day, her daughter-in-law drove the car out to register it, while Wendy stayed home reading stories to her granddaughter.
Not long after, the phone rang. On the other end, her daughter-in-law’s voice trembled with panic:
“While turning, I got hit by a truck going straight. The entire front bumper is smashed. It’s all our fault. Mom, I’m too scared to come home—your son is going to be furious.”
Wendy replied calmly, “As long as you’re okay, that’s what matters. Just come home.”
A while later, her son returned from work. Before he could react, Wendy sent her granddaughter over to ask him to tell her a story about a carpenter.
He couldn’t resist her pleading eyes and began reading in an animated voice:
“There was a kind-hearted carpenter who, though already old, still had no house and couldn’t find a wife. His elderly mother was terribly worried. Finally, a young woman agreed to marry him—but only if he could provide a home.
So the carpenter worked tirelessly, chopping and hammering for two months until he built a beautiful wooden house. One day, while he was out, a fire broke out next door and burned his house to the ground.
People thought he would collapse in despair, but instead, he searched through the charred remains. Everyone was puzzled—what could he possibly be looking for? At last, he found an unburned axe and exclaimed with relief, ‘I finally found you!’
People thought he must be crazy—his house was gone, and he was happy just to find an axe? The carpenter said, ‘As long as I’m here and I have my axe, why would I worry about not having a house?’”
Just then, the daughter-in-law slipped quietly back into the house, looking like a child who had done something wrong.
When her son learned what had happened, he exploded:
“You’re such a spendthrift! No brains at all! So careless—on the very first day, you wrecked a car worth hundreds of thousands!”
Wendy looked at her son calmly and asked:
“Are you done yet? The car is already damaged—will shouting fix it?
Just a minute ago, you were telling your daughter that as long as you have an axe, you can build another house. Now you’ve turned into a chameleon—how will you teach her in the future?
What’s more important: people or cars? A damaged car can be repaired or replaced. But if something had happened to your wife, this family would be over.
It’s the New Year. What matters most is that we are safe, healthy, and together. Everything else is just material. You should be grateful she came home without a scratch. So many people are facing life-and-death partings right now. Be content.”
Her son made a face and joked, “Mom, ever since you started practicing Buddhism, you’ve changed. You’re always siding with your daughter-in-law—have you forgotten you have a son? I feel like I’m adopted!”
Wendy rolled her eyes at him, and the whole family burst into laughter as they sat down to dinner.
Later, Wendy told me that after studying Buddhism, she finally understood how to let go of the suffering that comes from clinging to the self and how to transform afflictions into wisdom.
I watched in amazement as what could have been a chaotic family argument dissolved effortlessly in her hands. In the end, everyone was able to celebrate the New Year in peace and joy.
Life will always bring troubles and joys. A grateful and content mindset makes happiness bloom everywhere, while a lack of appreciation can turn even good fortune into heartache.
Hearing Wendy’s story reminded me how powerful a positive mindset can be in times of conflict. I hope more families can draw on the wisdom of the Dharma to transform challenges into understanding, live long lives free from illness, and enjoy peace, prosperity, and lasting happiness.
Link:https://peacelilysite.com/2025/07/01/the-power-of-a-good-mindset-in-times-of-conflict/
Peace LiLy 