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 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.”

You are my friend

and I am honored.

Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole.

Author Unknown