LETTER FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO HIS SON'S TEACHER

LETTER FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO HIS SON'S TEACHER

"My son starts school today. It is all going to be strange and new to
him for a while and I wish you would treat him gently. It is an
adventure that might take him across continents. All adventures that
probably include wars, tragedy and sorrow. To live this life will
require faith, love and courage.
So dear Teacher, will you please take him by his hand and teach him
things he will have to know, teaching him - but gently, if you can.
Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend. He will have to
know that all men are not just, that all men are not true. But teach
him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every
crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.
Teach him if you can that 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar
found. In school, teacher, it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach
him to learn how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.
Teach him to be gentle with people, tough with tough people. Steer
him away from envy if you can and teach him the secret of quiet
laughter. Teach him if you can - how to laugh when he is sad, teach
him there is no shame in tears. Teach him there can be glory in
failure and despair in success. Teach him to scoff at cynics.
Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give time to
ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and
flowers on a green hill. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas,
even if every one tell him they are wrong.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when
everyone else is doing it. Teach him to listen to every one, but teach
him also to filters all that he hears on a screen of truth and take only
the good that comes through.
Teach him to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidder but
never to put a price tag on his heart and soul. Let him have the
courage to be impatient, let him have the patient to be brave. Teach
him to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always
have sublime faith in mankind, in God.
This is the order, teacher but see what best you can do. He is such a
nice little boy and he is my son.