(General Douglas MacArthur's "A Prayer
For My Son" )
Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know
when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who
will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in
victory.
Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a
son who will know Thee — and that to know himself is the foundation stone of
knowledge.
Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but
under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to
stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who
fail.
Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goals will be high;
a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will
reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And after all these
things are his, give him, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may
always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so
that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of
true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength.
Then I, his father, will
dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain.”
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