Rosicrucian Beacon Magazine - 2013-06 - AMORC

y Louise lanence UPON a TIME there was a boywith a very difficult nature. Rory was badtempered, rude and unkind to family, friendsand strangers, and his parents despaired ofwhat would become of him. Nothing they did changedhim to the more amenable and loving person they knewhe was capable of.One day while father was working on a boundaryfence, he suddenly had an idea. Calling his son to his sidehe gave him a bag full of nails and said: “Son, when youget angry from now on…, each time you lose your temper…,take this hammer and drive one of these nails into this lovelygarden fence I have built for you.” Seeing that his fatherhad gone to such great length to make something he wasactually allowed to destroy, Rory quickly agreed. That firstday he banged in 37 nails into dad’s new garden fence.For whatever the reason…, perhaps because it eventuallybecame a chore to hammer in so many nails, even whenin cold, wet weather…, over the next few weeks, Rorysteadily learned to control himself, and nails driven intothe fence each day got fewer and fewer. He soon realisedthat it was easier to control himself than have to run outinto the garden and hammer in a nail into the fence eachtime he transgressed.Eventually a day came when Rory felt no needto drive a nail into dad’s fence for the entire durationof the day. Pleased with himself he eagerly went to dadwith the hammer and nails and said he didn’t need themany more. His father, already extremely pleased with hisson’s progress over the past months, was however wiserthan Rory, and told his son to hang onto the hammerand nails a while longer, and from then on, in additionto hammering in a nail each time he got angry, he shoulduse the hammer to take out one nail from the fence forevery day he succeeded in controlling his temper. Weekspassed, but finally Rory thought he was finished; thefence was devoid of nails at last and life, he thought, couldsoon return to normal. Going to his dad he handed backthe hammer and nails and his father gave him a big andpassionate hug, the sort Rory loved above all else, but onlywhen his friends weren’t looking,Taking Rory by the hand, he led him to the fenceand said: “Son, you have behaved well; I am so proud ofyou. But look how many holes you have left in the fence; itwill never be the same. When you get angry with someoneand abuse them with your harsh words, you leave them withwounds like those in the fence I made for you. You can stab aman, and then take the knife out, but you will always leavea wound. It does not matter how many times you say sorry,the scars will stay. A wound caused by words hurts just asbadly as a physical wound. Therefore my dear son, alwaysthink carefully before you speak!”In silence the two of them sat down on the groundand with tears streaming down his face, Rory snuggled intothe arms of the one he loved and respected most…, dad.28The Rosicrucian Beacon -- June 2013© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC