Have you ever lost someone you loved?
“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” — Rumi
I'm creating a series of ancient parables with a modern twist:
"Timeless wisdom, reimagined for today" — By Seth Hunter for buddi bench
I hope to inspire & offer solace in equal measure.
I'll upload them to my YouTube channel weekly - to ensure you never miss one of my posts plus to support me please subscribe now:
I wrote 'Grief and the Mustard Seed' this morning for anyone that has lost someone they loved. I've lost quite a few significant people in my life. I hope you enjoy reading or listening to it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Grief and the Mustard Seed
By Seth Hunter for buddy bench
"Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy."
— Psalm 126:5
In a quiet village nestled between undulating hills, there lived a woman named Naomi. She was known for her kindness, her laughter, and the warmth she shared with those around her. But one day, grief came to her home, silent and uninvited, when her only son fell ill and passed away.
Overcome with grief, Naomi could not accept what had happened. She wandered through the village in despair, seeking anyone who could bring her child back to life. She knocked on every door, pleading with healers, wise men, and elders. Some offered her words of comfort, others shook their heads sadly, but none could take away her pain.
One day, an old woman in the village took pity on Naomi and whispered to her, "Go to the sage who lives on the mountain. He is known for his wisdom. Perhaps he can help you."
Naomi set off on the journey. She climbed the steep, winding path to where the sage lived, and when she arrived, she fell at his feet.
"Master," she wept, "my heart is shattered. My child is gone. Please, bring him back to me."
The sage looked at her kindly and said, "I cannot bring back the dead, but I can show you a way to find peace."
"Tell me what to do," Naomi begged.
"Go back to the village," the sage said, "and bring me a single mustard seed from a house that has never known grief. With that seed, I will help you."
Naomi felt a flicker of hope. A mustard seed was small—surely, she could find one. She hurried down the mountain and went from house to house, knocking on doors.
At the first home, a woman welcomed her warmly. "I have plenty of mustard seeds," she said. "Take as many as you need."
"But tell me first," Naomi said, "have you ever known grief?"
The woman’s eyes filled with tears. "My husband passed away last winter. I still wake in the night, reaching for him."
Naomi thanked her and moved on.
At the next house, an old man greeted her. "Have you known grief?" she asked.
He nodded. "I lost my daughter in childbirth many years ago. I still speak to her in my prayers."
Naomi thanked him and continued.
From house to house she went, asking the same question. And in every home, she found stories of grief. A lost mother, a beloved brother, a child who had died too soon. Everyone, it seemed, carried grief in their hearts.
As she listened, something changed within Naomi. She saw how people bore their grief, how they continued on, how they still laughed, loved, and lived despite their losses. She saw how they comforted one another, how their grief softened into acceptance and compassion.
At last, as the sun was setting, Naomi sat by the village well. She realised she had not found a single mustard seed from a household free of grief—but she had found something else. She had found a sense of shared understanding & common experiences.
She no longer felt alone in her grief.
She climbed the mountain once more and stood before the sage.
"Master," she said, "I found no house without grief. But I found people who share in it. I see now that grief is part of life, not just my own burden to bear."
The sage smiled. "Now you have learned what I wished to teach you. Grief visits every home, but when we share it, it becomes lighter. You cannot escape grief, but you can find comfort in the hearts of others."
Naomi returned to her village. She no longer searched for a way to bring her child back but instead sought ways to help others through their own pain. And though she carried her grief still, it no longer consumed her. It had become part of the great story of love and loss that all people share.
And so, she lived on—still grieving, but no longer alone.
How does this parable help us?
This story reminds us that grief is the price we must pay to feel the joy of loving and being loved.
Far from being a catastrophe, grief is as natural as the joy for the birth of a child.
Grief proves that love exists.
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