Once, there was a little boy with a bad temper. His father, noticing this, gave him a bag of nails and told him that each time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of their fence. On the first day, the boy drove 37 nails into the fence. But as the days went by, he began to control his anger. He soon discovered that it was easier to keep his temper in check than to drive those nails into the fence.

Eventually, a day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. Proud, he told his father, who then suggested that for each day he kept his temper, he should pull out one nail from the fence. Days passed, and soon, the boy was able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

His father took him by the hand and led him to the fence. “You’ve 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 scars just like these. You can put a knife in a man and pull it out, but no matter how many times you say ‘I’m sorry,’ the wound is still there.”

The boy then understood the power of his words and actions. He looked up at his father and said, “I hope you can forgive me for the holes I’ve put in you.”

“Of course I can,” his father replied.

But the lesson was clear: it’s not just about anger; it’s about actions in general. There are no “fresh starts” in life. While forgiveness may come easily, the scars of the past never fully disappear. What you do today can leave a lasting impact, and sometimes, the price isn’t worth the reward.

disclaimer: We did not write the above, but I do not know the author, if you know who they are please contact me so I can add credit