World, take my child by
the hand –he starts school today!
It is all going to be
strange and new to him for a while, and I wish you would sort of treat him
gently. You see, up to now, he has been king of the roost. He has been the boss
of the backyard. I have always been around to repair his wounds, and I have
always been handy to soothe his feelings.
But now things are
going to be different. This morning he is going to walk down the front steps,
wave his hand, and start on a great adventure that probably will include wars
and tragedy and sorrow.
To live in this world
will require faith and love and courage. So, World, I wish you would sort of
take him by his young hand and teach him the things he will have to know. Teach
him –but gently, if you can.
He will have to learn, I
know, that all people are not just –that all men and women are not true. Teach him
that for every scoundrel, there is a hero; that for every enemy, there is a
friend. Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest people to lick.
Teach him the wonder of
books. Give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill. Teach him that it is far more
honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even
if everyone tells him they are wrong.
Try to give my son the
strength not to follow the crowd when everyone else is getting on the
bandwagon. Teach him to listen to others, but to filter all he hears on a
screen of truth and to take only the good that comes through.
Teach him never to put
a price tag on his heart and soul. Teach him to close his ears on the howling
mob –and to stand and fight if he thinks he is right. Teach him gently, World,
but do not coddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel.
This is a big order,
World, but see what you can do. He is such a nice son.
Signed, Abraham Lincoln.
Culled from “You Can
Win” by Shiv Khera, pp 161.
You must note that he said "Teach him gently, World, but do not coddle him because only the test of fire makes fine steel." So when you are over-pampering your child, note that you're destroying him/her.
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