Speak to Everyone Kindly, Gently

Confucius, the great Chinese philosopher was in deathbed. His near and dear ones surrounded his bed.

Weakly, he whispered, “Can you see what is in my mouth”?

The old philosopher has lost all his teeth. So they replied, “We only see the tongue”.

After a while, Confucious asked them. “What is in your mouth?”

“We have both our tongue and teeth”, they answered. The wise old man then told them, “When man is born, he is born only with a tongue”. The teeth come on gradually. They are harder and stronger than the tongue! But as man grow older, his hard, strong teeth drop off gradually. Only the tongue, soft and gentle, lasts till the end.

The dying philosopher paused for breath and told “This is my last message to you, my dear ones that which is gentle, lasts. Therefore, always speak to everyone kindly, lovingly, gently!”