Father Son and the Holy Post

Father, Son

And The

Holy Post

(Full Audio Version of this Story available at the Bottom)

Growing up we all have that one someone who likes to push us around, call us names and make us feel like dirt. Chris was one of those kids. He constantly picked on this one boy named Theaux. Chris took his bullying to a whole new level. Every day he would find a new place to hide around the school to jump out and scare Theaux. Of course, Chris never just scared Theaux. He would push him down and call him names. Like most bullies, Chris would make sure to know all the weak points of their victims to exploit them to their advantage.

Theaux was a tall, skinny kid who didn’t come from a very wealthy family. He often came to school with dirty clothes with holes all through them. He often didn’t have a school lunch because his parents either forgot to pack him one or just didn’t have anything to eat at home to bring to school. If Theaux ever did come to school with a packed lunch, Chris would make sure that most of it would end up on the ground or had a special ingredient added to it. Often it was some bug he found crawling around the lunchroom floor.

Chris was from a well-off family. He always seemed to have the newest of video games. Newest brands of shoes, and one thing is for sure, Chris was never hungry, but he always seemed to have food in his hand. Even though Chris was from a well-off family and a bully at school, his dad was a successful entrepreneur and made sure that Chris minded his P’s and Q’s when he was at home. Chris’s dad had no tolerance for people disrespecting others. He knew that when people worked together and respected each other, they could ultimately accomplish anything.

Theaux was too embarrassed to tell any of the teachers at school about Chris bullying him. It didn’t help that Chris would tell Theaux that if he told any of the teachers, he would kill him. Needless to say, Theaux was always nervous for fear of what Chris would do next, and he was super depressed feeling like there was nothing he could do to stop the never-ending torture Chris put him through.

That was of course until one day Chris took his bullying a little too far. Some of Chris’s friends jokingly told Chris that Theaux had told one of the teachers on him. So Chris was on a mission to find Theaux and make him pay. Soon, Chris found Theaux walking through the halls in-between classes going to use the restroom. Chris followed him into the bathroom. While Theaux was in one of the stalls in the bathroom, Chris started pounding on the stall door screaming profanities. Telling him he better get out and face his punishment like a man. When Theaux refused, Chris kept shouting, calling him names, and making fun of his dirty old clothes, and how poor his family is.

Un-known to Chris, Theaux had taken his teachers cell phone off his desk on his way out of class to use the restroom. Theaux wanted to call his dad to come pick him up from school because he was scared of what Chris was going to do to him. In reality, Theaux was just going to tell his dad he didn’t feel good and wanted to go home. With cell phone in hand Theaux started recording the moment Chris started pounding on the bathroom door.

The class bell soon rang and Chris knew kids were going to start coming into the bathroom, so he left, but without yelling to Theaux that he was a “Dead Man” first.

After Chris had left, Theaux gave it a minute, then he left as well. He returned to the class and handed the teachers cell phone back to him. Saying he found it on the ground outside in the hallway. The teacher thanked Theaux and asked if everything was alright. Of course, Theaux just nodded his head, turned and walked away.

Later on that day an announcement over the school P.A. system called out for Chris to make his way down to the office. Like all classrooms full of kids, everyone started saying…”oooooooh you’re in trouble…”. Chris just shook his head and said, “Shut up!”

Walking into the office, Chris saw his dad, the principal and the teacher whose phone Theaux took. Immediately Chris knew something was up. Chris was called into the principal’s office. There, he was shown the video Theaux took on the teachers’ phone. Chris had nothing to say. Neither did his dad. The principal told him there was no room for bullies in this school and that he had a three-day suspension to think about what he had done.

Chris’s dad walked out of the office without ever saying a word to Chris. In fact, the whole way home was silent. Chris kept thinking to himself, wondering what type of punishment his dad was going to give him.

When they got home Chris’s dad finally spoke. “I want you to go to your room and I’ll be there in a minute”.

Chris by this time was fighting back tears. Not for remorse of what he did to Theaux, but for what his dad might do to him.

After several long minutes, Chris’s dad came to his room and told Chris to follow him.

Chris’s dad was holding a hammer and what looked like an old coffee can full of nails. By this point Chris was freaking out. Not knowing what was in store for him.

They walked out into the back yard, far away from the house. Soon they happened upon a post sticking out of the ground. Right away Chris thought that his dad was going to crusify him.

Chris’s dad set down the can of nails and pulled one out. He looked at Chris and began to talk.

“This nail represents a bad word, or phrase you use to put someone down or make fun of them”. He then proceeded to hammer the nail part way into the wooden post.

“Every time you say bad things to someone, it is like hammering a nail into their soul. That nail will stick with them forever. Unless you pull it out.” His dad took out another nail and hammered it into the wooden post.

“Every time you do something to hurt someone else it is like hammering a nail into their soul. That nail will stick with them forever. Unless you pull it out.” His dad paused, staring straight into Chris’s eys. Then proceeded to speak again, “Now Son, I want you to stay here and think of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, you said and did to that poor boy, and when you think about it, I want you to hammer a nail into this post.”

Chris’s dad handed him the hammer and walked away.

After about an hour, Chris’s dad came walking back out to Chris and looked at the wooden post. It was literally full of nails from the top to the bottom and all around it. All Chris’s dad could say was “WOW!”

He then took the hammer from Chris and reminded him that the nail would stay there forever until you pulled it out. Chris’s dad instructed him to take the claw end of the hammer and pull out the nails. Only this time, he could only pull out a nail when he thought and said out loud of a way to compliment and help Theaux out instead of hurting him. This time though Chris’s dad wanted to hear everything Chris was saying.

Tired and sweating from hammering in all the nails, Chris huffed and said, “I’m going to be here all night”. Chris’s dad simply replied, “Well you’re not leaving until all the nails are out, so you better get started.”

One by one, slowly but surely, Chris started to think of ways to help Theaux out and think of things that would make him feel better about himself. It went slow at first, but as Chris started to think of things, he got onto a roll and started pulling nails out faster and faster. By the end he even seemed to enjoy thinking about things to help Theaux out even had a smile on his face.

As soon as he was done, he looked up at his dad and asked, “Do you think I can really do some of the things I said to help Theaux out?” His dad replied, “Son, you can do anything if your heart is in the right place.” He paused again. “Now son, I want you to take a look at that post.”

Chris looked over at the post and it was full of holes where the nails once were.

His dad now said, “That post was once full of nails. Those were all the bad things you did or said to that poor boy. Now that post is full of holes because you thought of things of ways to make him feel better about himself and were able to pull that nail out. That post will never be the same as before. The only thing you can do now is give it time and help life fill in those holes, but the only way that can happen is if you take action.” his dad paused for a moment and asked Chris, “Do you understand?”

Chris stood quietly for a bit and finally nodded his head. They then walked back to the house where Chris could shower and clean up before taking a much-needed sleep.

Years went by and Chris had always remembered what his father had taught him that day. He had apologized to Theaux and over the years they eventually became best of friends. Chris even invited Theaux to his graduation party at the end of high school.

At the party, Chris’s dad had pulled Chris aside and told him to follow him. They walked back to where Chris’s dad had taught him that valuable life lesson. They came upon the Holy Post. Only now the post wasn’t Holy anymore. It was full of little plants growing where each of the holes once were.

Chris’s dad simply said, “I’m proud of you son, you took action and dedicated your time to fixing your mistakes.”

“Now that once dead Holy Post is Full of Life.”

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