A farmer's horse ran away. The evening after the horse ran away, the neighbors gathered to commiserate with him since this was such bad luck. The farmer said, “Ah, perhaps.” The next day the horse returned, but brought with it six wild horses, and the neighbors came exclaiming at his good fortune. He said, “perhaps.” And then, the following day, his son tried to saddle and ride one of the wild horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. Again the neighbors came to offer their sympathy for the misfortune. The farmer said, “perhaps.” The day after that, conscription officers came to the village to seize young men for the army, but because of the broken leg the farmer’s son was rejected. When the neighbors came in to say how fortunately everything had turned out, he said, “perhaps.”
I figured maybe some Taoism would make you feel better.
