The Party Spirit
A couple went away for the weekend and entrusted their son with watching over their home. Since their son wanted to impress his friends, he invited them to the house to party in his parent’s absense.
As the party progressed, the situation became increasingly out of control. By the time it was over, the property was severely damaged and many of the guests were harmed.
The young man mused extensively over his predicament. First, he thought there might be a way for him to cover up the whole event so that his parents would never find out about it. After a time, he realized this was not possible. Next, he began to ponder a good defense for having such a party while glossing over the damages it caused. Yet this brought no peace to his mind. Then, he considered attempting to undo all the harm that was done to the home and compensating his friends for their injuries. Still the task was too overwhelming. He also considered making it up to his parents by doing everything he thought they would want him to do all of the time. Nevertheless, he eventually realized that he was quite incapable of keeping such a commitment.
Finally, the young man thought about the character his father had demonstrated to himself and others in the past. He knew his father cared for him and would not do anything unreasonable regardless of the magnitude of his error. Therefore, when his parents came back home, he simply showed his father the condition of the house and admitted to all he was responsible for. The damage was so extensive that he knew there was no way he could fix any of it on his own. As a result, the boy depended solely on his father’s kindness to deliver him from the situation.