THE TONE OF VOICE

(Author Unknown)

Its not so much what you say

As the manner in which you say it;

Its not so much the language you use

As the tone in which you convey it.

Come here! I sharply said,

And the child cowered and wept.

Come here, I said 

He looked and smiled

And straight to my lap he crept.

Words may be mild and fair

But the tone may pierce like a dart;

Words may be soft as the summer air

But the tone may break my heart.

Whether you know it or not,

Whether you mean or care,

Gentleness, kindness, love and hate,

Envy, anger, are there.

Then, would you quarrels avoid

And peace and love rejoice?

Keep anger not only out of your words 

Keep it out of your voice.

-- Debra (Ihear@you.com), July 15, 2000

Answers

Good post. Reminds my of Aesop's fable about The Wind and The Sun.

-- (retired@nd.happy), July 15, 2000.

Thank You fellow traveler for those words which I pass on to others. So poetic. You did a good thing.

-- Open (their@eyes.com), July 16, 2000.

Open,

When I post something like this I do it with the belief that, at the very least, one person will benefit from it. When I hit the submit key I submit it with love and trust to the universe that it may reach someone in need.

Imagine that one child (or any person) smiled instead of wept last night because someone read the above.

It's good to know a fellow traveler will help deliver these words to where they will do good.

Thank you. It is always wonderful to meet another on the path.

-- Debra (Ihear@you.com), July 16, 2000.

Retired,

As discussed in some of the other threads there are some powerful energies and interesting synchronicities going on right now.

Last weekend I was looking for some essays to post that, hopefully, would make a small difference in someones life. I posted from Robert Fulghums books. BUT  I had taken out my Aesops Fables book to look through. It was sitting right here on my desk when I read your post above.

In the spirit of KNOWING that there is a message and meaning here I am going to post the fable you mentioned.

THE WIND AND THE SUN

A dispute once arose between the wind and the sun over which was the stronger of the two. There seemed to be no way of settling the issue. But suddenly they saw a traveler coming down the road.

This is our chance, said the sun, to prove who is right. Whichever of us can make that man take off his coat shall be the stronger. And just to show you how sure I am, Ill let you have the first chance.

So the sun hid behind a cloud, and the wind blew an icy blast. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveler wrap his coat around him. At last the wind had to give up in disgust. Then the sun came out from behind the cloud and began to shine down upon the traveler with all his power. The traveler felt the suns genial warmth, and as he grew warmer and warmer he began to loosen his coat. Finally he was forced to take it off altogether and to sit down in the shade of a tree and fan himself. So the sun was right, after all!

MORAL: Persuasion is better than force.

-- Debra (Ihear@you.com), July 16, 2000.