Bench on the Edge of Town.

One day, an old man sat down on it. He was tired – not only physically, but also spiritually. He was carrying a lot with him: disappointments, losses, unfulfilled dreams. As he sat there, a little boy suddenly stopped beside him. The boy had a ball in his hand, and all he asked was: 

"Uncle, why do you look so sad?

"At first, the old man didn't know what to say. Then he smiled and said: 

"Because I forgot how easy it is to be happy.

" The little boy didn't understand, but he sat down next to him and began to tell him about his adventures that day—how high he could kick, how he chased butterflies, and how much he loved summer. 

The old man's heart slowly began to lighten. He realized that joy does not come from the absence of worries, but from appreciating the moments. When the boy stood up to leave, the old man got up from the bench with a lighter heart than he had sat down on it. And from that day on, the bench was no longer just a rusty iron-legged seat on the edge of town—but a reminder that even in the midst of all sorrow, small joys can be found if you listen with an open heart.