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 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 still there. 

A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends 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. 

Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to 
say something you will regret later.