A Sack of Stones

 

A Sack of Stones…

 

Once upon a time, in a quiet village nestled among hills, there lived a wise grandfather named Esteban and his curious but stubborn grandson, Martín.

Martín hated homework. Every day it turned into a battle at home. One afternoon, after his mother reached her breaking point, she left him with Grandpa Esteban to cool off.

— “What’s wrong, Martín?”

— “Homework, Grandpa! It’s boring, it’s hard, and I don’t want to do it!”

Esteban didn’t argue. He simply walked over to the corner and brought back an old sack full of rocks.

— “Help me carry this to the other side of the field,” he said.

Martín stared at it.

— “But it’s heavy! Why should I?”

— “I’ll explain on the way.”

Grumbling, Martín picked up the sack. Step by step, it grew heavier. After a while, Esteban spoke:

— “Homework is like this sack. It feels pointless and hard. But guess what happens if someone carries a sack like this every day?”

— “What?” Martín gasped.

— “Their arms grow stronger.”

— “Homework isn’t to bother you—it’s to make your mind strong. So when real problems come, you’re ready.”

Martín frowned, quietly absorbing the message.

— “And if I just don’t do it?”

Esteban paused and smiled gently.

— “Then someone else will always have to carry your weight. But do you want to rely on others forever?”

Martín didn’t answer. But his steps grew more determined. At the end of the field, they set the sack down and sat beneath a tree.

— “I hated carrying sacks as a boy too,” Esteban said.

— “But now, each one I lift reminds me of the strength I’ve built.”

That night, for the first time, Martín asked his mother to sit with him while he did his homework. It wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t give up.

Sometimes, what feels heavy isn’t a punishment—

it’s preparation.

And all we need is someone like Esteban to remind us:

the weight we carry today can become the strength we rely on tomorrow.