Abraham Lincoln's World Famous Letter to his Son's Teacher
He will have to learn, I know,
that all men are not just, all men are not true.
But teach him also that
for every scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish Politician, there is a dedicated leader…
Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,
Steer him away from envy, if you can,
teach him the secret of quiet laughter.
Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to lick…
Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books…
But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun,
and the flowers on a green hillside.
In the school teach him it is far honourable 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 the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the band wagon…
Teach him to listen to all men…but teach him also to 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 to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness…
Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders
but never to put a price-tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob
and to stand and fight if he thinks he's right.
Treat him gently,
but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel.
Let him have the courage to be impatient…
let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will have
sublime faith in mankind.
This is a big order,
but see what you can do…He is such a fine little fellow, my little son.
Dear son ,
I am writing this to you because of 3 reasons
Life, fortune and mishaps are unpredictable; nobody knows how long
he lives. Some words are better said early.
I am your father, and if I don't tell you these, no one else will.
What is written is my own personal bitter experiences that perhaps
could save you a lot of unnecessary heartaches.
Remember the following as you go through life..
Do not bear grudge towards those who are not good to you. No one
has the responsibility of treating you well, except your mother and I.
To those who are good to you, you have to treasure it and be thankful,
and ALSO you have to be cautious, because, everyone has a motive for
every move. When a person is good to you, it does not mean he really
likes you. You have to be careful, don't hastily regard him as a real friend.
No one is indispensable, nothing in the world that you must possess.
Once you understand this idea, it would be easier for you to go through
life when people around you don't want you anymore, or when you lose
what/who you love most.
Life is short. When you waste your life today, tomorrow you would
find that life is leaving you. The earlier you treasure your life, the better you enjoy life.
Love is but a transient feeling, and this feeling would fade with time
and with one's mood. If your so called loved one leaves you, be patient, time will wash away your aches and sadness. Don't over exaggerate the beauty and sweetness of love, and don't over exaggerate the sadness of falling out of love.
A lot of successful people did not receive a good education, that does
not mean that you can be successful by not studying hard!
Whatever knowledge you gain is your weapon in life. One can go from
rags to riches, but one has to start from some rags!
I do not expect you to financially support me when I am old, neither
would I financially support your whole life. My responsibility as a
supporter ends when you are grown up. After that, you decide whether
you want to travel in a public transport or in your limousine, whether
rich or poor.
You honor your words, but don't expect others to be so. You can be good to people, but don't expect people to be good to you. If you don't understand this, you would end up with unnecessary troubles.
I have bought lotteries for umpteen years, but I never strike any prize. That shows if you want to be rich, you have to work hard! There is no free lunch!
No matter how much time I have with you, let's treasure the time we
have together. We do not know if we would meet again in our next life.
With Love,
Your Dad
ISMAIL CHOHAN
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