Author’s note: this essay was originally published on April 20, 2020, at the height of Texas’ economic shutdown and closure of Texas public schools due to COVID—19. As we move in to a new school year and as we attempt to operate schools and fall activities with some semblance of normalcy, within COVID—19 protective measures, I think the lessons in this essay are worth re-sharing. Be well, all.
xYou might think that the phrase “this too shall pass” appears in the Bible. It does not. It first appeared in Western literature in the 19th century as the retelling of a Persian fable. One such version of the fable attributes the saying to King Solomon. In that telling, a sultan asked King Solomon, in his unparalleled wisdom, for a saying that would always be true, in good times or bad. King Solomon replied with “this too will pass away.” A similar version was told by future president Abraham Lincoln in an 1859 speech to the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society:
“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: ‘And this, too, shall pass away.’ How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!”
The saying might not appear in the Bible, but it certainly fits with the biblical principle that life on Earth is temporary and fleeting. What I fiwnd most interesting is the application of the saying in its original form. When we think “this too shall pass,” we most likely think about it when faced with anxiety, stress, grief, or other negative emotions. But the origin story points out that the saying is true in ALL times. Lincoln speaks of both the “hour of pride” and the “depths of affliction.”
Ever since I first learned about the boom-bust nature of the oil business (in part thanks to reading the book “Friday Night Lights” at an age probably younger than appropriate), I’ve always been struck by its constant cycle. No matter how bad things get in the oil business, they always improve. No matter how good things are in the oil business, they eventually decline. The cycle began when Colonel Edwin L. Drake drilled the first oil well near Titusville, Pennsylvania in 1859 and it hasn’t stopped since.
“This too shall pass” applies exceedingly well to the oil business. But even though the oil business cycles might be more extreme than other aspects of life, those cycles exist throughout our lives. Many of us, perhaps even most of us, have muttered “this too shall pass” at a hard point in life. But as we are reminded by the wise words of President Lincoln, we should remember those words equally during our hours of pride.
This is an unusual season in our lives—in Stamford, in Texas, in America, in the world. Many of us are experiencing hard times. Others are experiencing new joys amidst unusual circumstances. I’m thinking hard about answers for how our rural communities will move forward from COVID—19 and the associated effects on our economy. Many parts of our lives will never be the same. Some parts may be better, others may be worse, and still others may not be better or worse, just different.
But above all, no matter what you’re dealing with, whether it’s the hour of pride or the depth of affliction, remember—this too shall pass.
James Decker is a lawyer, farmer, and mayor in Stamford, Texas, and the creator of the forthcoming “West of 98” podcast and website. He may be contacted through Facebook at facebook.com/james.decker.