A retired U.S. Army colonel develops an unexpected appreciation for the animal life around him, which leads him to make significant changes to his own life.

A gifted American novelist who always rejects the world around her is forced to rethink her perspective when her husband falls sick — the thought of losing him forces her to turn her criticism inward.

A sergeant looks forward to leaving the harshness of the barracks and going home to his wife, but is unable to feel truly at home until the rain provides the illusion of distance from the outside world.

A rift grows between two friends as one of them pulls away to pursue a romantic relationship. The girl's actions result in the loss of the green duckboat that represented the memories they made together.

An American colonel posted in post-war China dislikes his younger colleague intensely, but does not know why until he realizes he is being taunted about his advanced age - an act of disdain familiar to him because he was guilty of it in his own youth.