Temper, Temper!

Nails in the Fence

 There was once a little boy with a very bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him to hammer a nail into the back of the fence each time he lost his temper.

 So the boy did.

The first day, he drove 37 nails into the fence. But it was hard work...and sometimes it was easier to hold his temper that to drive a nail into the fence. So, over the next few weeks, as the boy learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily dwindled. Then, one day, the boy didn't lose his temper at all.

 So he told his dad.

And his dad smiled and hugged his son, and suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day he was able to hold his temper.

 So the boy did.

The days passed and, in time, the boy was able to tell his dad that all the nails were gone.

 And his dad smiled and hugged his son, then took him 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. Those holes have scarred it for ever and the fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave scars just like these. Words are like knives; once they're plunged into someone's body, no matter how many times you apologize, they leave a wound. And even when that wound heals, a scar remains."

 The boy looked sad. "So I can never make my fence whole again?" he asked. 

 His dad got down on his knees and looked at his son. "This part of the fence will always be scarred," he replied. "But throughout your life you will be building fences and it's up to you if those are scarred or not." 

 "They won't be, daddy," whispered the son as he took one last look at the damage his anger had caused. Then he slipped his hand into his father's and the two walked away from the fence.

I don't know the source of the original story. I've changed it to suit my purposes.

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Comments

[Trish]

Very well said

[Dr. Rhia]

Thanks Trish.