Nail in the fence – Special for National Friendship Week
By Rajesh Setty on Tue 28 Mar 2006, 4:04 PM – 3 Comments
I got this beautiful note from my friend Mukundan. It was part of a “National Friendship Week” campaign.
I am posting this because as readers of this blog, you are all my friends. Some of you I will meet, some of you- I will communicate by email and some of you I may never interact. However, the fact that you took your time to visit my blog means a lot to me. Thank you.
Now, here is the story
Note: Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence.(Most importantly the last sentence.)
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 radually 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.
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.” It’s National Friendship Week. Show your friends! how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND, even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you. If it comes back to you, then you’ll know you have a circle of friends.
YOU ARE ALL MY FRIENDS AND I AM HONORED!
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole.
Special thanks to Mukundan for allowing me to share this with all of you. Related Articles:
- A gentle push…
- When you have a hammer…
- Quotes worth recording – Wayne Gretzky
- Newsletter Topic: Please take me from P to Z or Ineffective pre-suppositions
Posted in the Main Page category.


3 Comments so far, Add Yours




Anonymous on March 30th, 2006
So true…
And a very humble and thoughtful note from you (before the story)!
Have read a couple of your earlier posts as well – i like your objective and well structured way of presenting your thoughts.
It’ll be a pleasure to meet you some time..
– Rachna.




Anonymous on March 30th, 2006
Luis, Rachna:
Thank you for your kinds words. Those of you who sent me an email, I have (almost) responded to all of you back.
Thanks again.
Best,
Rajesh
Leave a Comment
Anonymous on March 29th, 2006
Rajesh,
I am blessed to have a friend like you, your kind and inspirational words are very close to me, I use them all the time. Please consider me as your friend as well.
Thanks
Luis