Love is the finest nourishment in life; even a single spoonful of water can help a tree of life grow vigorously. That tree might be ordinary and inconspicuous, or perhaps small and even withered, but with the right nourishment, it can flourish and grow into a towering giant.
A little boy once believed he was the unluckiest child in the world, having been left with a limp and uneven teeth due to polio. He rarely played with classmates, and when teachers asked him questions, he would often keep his head down in silence. One spring day, his father brought some saplings from a neighbor to plant in front of their house and suggested that each child plant one. His father promised that the child with the best-growing tree would receive a special gift. The boy longed for the gift, but seeing his siblings frolicking as they watered their trees, a dark thought crossed his mind: he hoped his own tree would wither away quickly. After watering it once or twice, he simply neglected it.
A few days later, to his amazement, the tree had not withered; instead, it had sprouted fresh, vibrant green leaves, looking even more lively than the trees his siblings had planted. His father kept his promise, giving him a beloved gift and telling him that, judging by his tree, he would surely become a great botanist one day. From that moment on, the boy began to become more optimistic.
One night, unable to sleep, the boy looked at the bright moonlight and remembered his biology teacher's words: plants often grow at night. He crept into the garden, only to find his father using a spoon to secretly fertilize his tree. Suddenly, everything became clear. His father had been secretly nurturing his tree all along. Returning to his room, he could not stop his tears from flowing...
Decades passed, and while that limping boy did not become a botanist, he did become the President of the United States: Franklin D. Roosevelt.
