A Hole in the Fence
(Najamuddin Ghanghro, Karachi (Original from Larkana))
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 day 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 and loved ones are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and
encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and
they always want to open their hearts to us. Water your relationships with
kindness… and they will grow. So be careful little lips what you say…! And you
won't chase friendships away.