Parable of the Chinese Farmer

Here's a story we learned in Mindfulness class and I really liked it.

There is a Chinese farmer and his horse runs away. The neighbor comes over and says, "Bad news"
The farmer says, "Bad news, Good news, who am I to say?"

And the next day the horse returns with a second horse.

The farmer gives the second horse to his son and his son rides the horse, falls off and breaks his leg. The neighbor comes over and says, "Bad news"

The farmer says, "Bad news, Good news, who am I to say?"

The next day the military comes through each village and farm taking all able bodied boys. The farmer's son, of course, is not taken.

I think of this story often when I hear something and decide maybe I shouldn't jump to a quick conclusion - good or bad.

You never know.