Teach Him Gently...If You
Can..
strange and new to him for a while, and I wish You would
sort of teach
him gently...
You see, up to now, he's been our little
boy.
He's been boss of the backyard...His mother has always been
around to repair his wounds, and I've always been handy to soothe his
feelings.
But now, things are going to be different...
This
morning he's going to walk down the front steps, wave his
hand, and start
out on the great adventure...it's an adventure that will
probably include
wars and tragedy and sorrow.
TO live his life in the world he will live
in requires 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 are not just, that all
are not true.
But teach him
also that for every scoundrel there is a hero...for
every selfish
politician, there is a dedicated leader...Teach him that
for every enemy,
there is a friend.
It will take time, world, I know, but teach him, if
You can, that
a nickel earned is of far more value than a dollar
found...Teach him to
lose...and enjoy winning.
Steer him away from
envy, if You can, and teach him the secret of
quiet laughter.
Let him
learn early that bullies are the easiest people to
lick...Teach him, if You
can, the wonder of books...But also give him
quiet time to ponder the
eternal mystery of the birds in the sky, bees in
the sun, and flowers on a
green hillside.
In school, world, teach him 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...Teach him to be gentle with gentle
people and
tough with tough people.
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 all
men...But teach him to also filter
all he hears on a screen of truth and
take only the good that comes through.
Teach him, if You can, how to laugh when he is sad...Teach him
there
is no shame in tears...Teach him there can by glory in failure and
despair
in success.
Teach him to scoff at the cynics and to beware of too much
sweetness...Teach him to sell his brawn and brains to the highest bidder
but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him to
close his ears to the howling mob...and to stand and
fight if he thinks he's
right.
Teach him gently, world, but don't coddle him, because only the
test of fire makes fine steel.
Let him have courage to be
impatient...let him have the patients
to be brave.
Teach him always to
have sublime faith in himself...Because then
he will always sublime faith in
mankind.
This is a big order, world, but you see what you can do...He's
such a fine little fellow, my son!
Sheila M. Cole
