There once was a little girl who had a bad temper. Her mother gave
her a bag of nails and told her that every time she lost her temper,
she must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the
girl had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as
she learned to control her anger, the number of nails hammered daily
gradually dwindled down. She discovered it was easier to hold her
temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came
when the girl didn't lose her temper at all. She told her mother
about it and the mother suggested that the girl now pull out one nail
for each day that she was able to hold her temper. The day passed and
the young girl was finally able to tell her mother that all the nails
were gone.
The mother took her daughter by the hand and led her to the fence.
She said, "You have done well,my daughter, 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 person 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!!
her a bag of nails and told her that every time she lost her temper,
she must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the
girl had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as
she learned to control her anger, the number of nails hammered daily
gradually dwindled down. She discovered it was easier to hold her
temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came
when the girl didn't lose her temper at all. She told her mother
about it and the mother suggested that the girl now pull out one nail
for each day that she was able to hold her temper. The day passed and
the young girl was finally able to tell her mother that all the nails
were gone.
The mother took her daughter by the hand and led her to the fence.
She said, "You have done well,my daughter, 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 person 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!!