Nail in the 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.

Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole.

Top of Page