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 back of 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.   
 
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.
 
When all the nails were gone, the father said, "You have done well, 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.  A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one."

 

Anger helps no one. Encouragement helps everyone. Be a fence mender.

 

(Thanks, Gale K)