In a village near Makurdi, there lived a farmer named Yakubu. Every year during the rainy season, he planted trees along a dusty road leading to the market. People found it strange. The trees were not on his land. He would never make money from them. Yet he continued planting more each year. One afternoon, a traveler stopped to rest under one of the trees and asked him a question. "Why spend your time planting trees you may never benefit from?" Yakubu smiled and pointed at the shade above them. "Did I plant this tree for myself?" he asked. The traveler looked around. Several people were resting beneath the branches. Some were eating. Others were escaping the hot afternoon sun. Yakubu continued. "Many years ago, someone planted a tree that protected me from the sun. I never met that person. Today, I am simply doing the same for others." The traveler sat quietly. The lesson was powerful. Not everything valuable in life provides an immediate reward. Some actions benefit future generations. Some acts of kindness may never be repaid directly. But they still make the world better. Years later, those trees became a landmark in the community. People remembered Yakubu not because he was wealthy, but because he left something useful behind. True success is not only measured by what we gain. Sometimes it is measured by what we give. What positive thing can you do today that might benefit someone else in the future?
