Week 15 Story

The Jealous Student

There she sat, trying and working hard to finish all of the projects that she had to turn in this week. She sees all of her friends who did not go to college out having fun and making money. Her friends always had the means to go and do fun things whenever they wanted and they never had to stay home and work on projects or assignments.

“Oh, well.” She thought to herself and she began yet another 10-page assignment and texted her friends that she would not be able to go to the movies with them this Friday night. It isn’t that she doesn’t want to go, she just literally does not have the time to go and do things like they do.

Later that evening she called her mother and told her how jealous she is and tells her mom that she just wishes she could have all of the time and money that her friends do. She tells her how much she wishes she was not stuck in school all week and in her room all weekend working on assignments.

Her mother listened for close to thirty minutes while her daughter aired her grievances about her current situation. When she finally relented, her caring mother spoke these words:

“Honey, I understand what you are going through, but in a few weeks you are going to be a college graduate with amazing job options. You will have accomplished something that none of your friends have, and let me tell you, they wish they would have stuck with college. It may seem like they have it better than you, but you are just putting in the work to get to where you want to be. Keep working hard, sweetie.”

After thanking her mother and hanging up the phone, she sat and thought about her mother’s words. She knew her mother was right and that she just needed to keep pressing on and she would get where she wanted to be.

Push Through

Author’s Note: This story was rewritten and based on the Jataka Tale, TheOx Who Envied the Pig. In the original story there is an ox who is envious of the pig who gets all the good food while he and his brother are only fed straw. One day, his brother reminds him that the pig may be eating better now, but that is only because he is being fattened for slaughter. This story is like mine because it shows that things may seem like they are better for someone else, but in reality they could be headed for disaster.