Letters were ways of communication in olden days and they were used for every type of communication. They were used to send the love of a father, husband, teacher, student, mother, the message of leader, ruler, etc. Some letters written by great people have the capacity of standing as guideposts. Among the letters that stand out was the one written by Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln wrote to his son’s teacher on his first day of school. He wanted to convey a respectful reminder of what he wants the teacher to teach his son. The letter is verily an educative one with a meaningful message in it. Each paragraph consists of memorable lessons that every person should know as s/he grows up.
Below is the Full Letter:
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 are 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 him 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 everyone tells 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 everyone, but teach him also to filter 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, and in God.
This is a tall order, teacher but see what best you can do. He is such a nice little boy and he is my son.
Who is Abraham Lincoln?
Abraham Lincoln was an American statesman and lawyer who served as the 16th president of the United States. He served as president for 5 years, from 4 March 1861 until his assassination by John Wilkes Booth on 15 April 1865.
