A TEACHING FOR MEN: A Hole in Your Fence
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father
gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his
temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the
next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number
of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered
it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He
told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now
pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his
father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by
the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done
well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will
never be the same."
When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.
You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter
how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.
A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and
encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words
of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole in your fence.
- author unknown (to me)