Evening star., 1963-01-13
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
Be 1t Resolved
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United States Senate

In correcting the faults OF
the past. the vital New Year
question is: What effect will
the blotted yesterdays have
on the tomorrows with their
spotless pagesp
Several years ago the
8 year-old-daughter of a
home I know we'll, having
heard much talk from her
elders about New Year resolu-
tions, followed the habit of
'the grownups and on her own
initiative she emptied her
soul on a piece of paper
headed, MY New Year Reso-
lutions." What she put down
might be called confessions"
as resolutions so often are.
She brought the list to her
mother who gave me a copy.
Inasmuch as that is more
than a decade ago, I feel no
pangs in making them pub
lie, as the one who wrote
them had a good laugh when
lately shown them, as they
indicated her thought about
various matters before she
put away childish things.
Here are her BE 1t Re-
solved" including the mis-
spelled words.
"(D I will shair the swings.
(2) I will not fight. CD I will
bursh my teeth all the time.
a. I will shair my toys. (5)
/ will not thrue stones. co
/ will obay my parnts. CD I
will go to bed when I am
toled. (8) I will not ring peo-
Piles doorbells. (9) I will obay
the teacher. (10) I will never
get mad" Now, in this case,
and in all normal expert
ences as we put away such
childish things as swings, and
toys, and stones, and pulling
doorbellS, may we suggest as
part of the discipline of the
first 81 days Of 1868, five II
wills" which, If kept, will in
crease the individual stature
Of the one who thus resolves,
and will also tend to lift the
morale Of the pilgrims so
close that what one does and
Is colors their mood.
Be 1t Resolved That, First,
! will be kind; I will shun
all expressions which will
make another uncomfortable
or resentful. What havoc
often results from barbed
words which wound and may
spoil the music of the day, or
Of days, yea of years. Some
time ago I talked to a very
old woman, and from her bit
ter words ! could tell that an
unkind remark by one in an
unguarded moment half a
century before had left an in
famed and fostering sore in
the depths Of her personality.
1t was still singing and
smarting as the end of her
mortal days drew near. Each
New Year we each need to
remember the admonition of
Ian McClaren-"Be kind, be
kind, every one you meet is
fighting a hard battle!"
Secondly, / will avoid as
the plague the gossip of "They
say" How easy, yet how des-
picable, to pass along some
bit of slander with no other
credential than, They say"
A persons reputation may be
assaSSinated by those two
words, yet how easily we pick
UP some juicy morsel of gos-
sip devoid Of any investiga-
ton Of its origin. We pass on
what they say" with a lifted
eyebrow. a significant smirk,
and somebody's name is per-
manently tarnished.
Thirdly, I will praise excel
lence. That does not mean to
fulsomely flatter; it does
mean to believe in the effec-
tiveness of building stamina
by a deserved pat on the
back. How many people who
have done a good job have
you praised this past year?
When a successful man wrote
to an old teacher to whom
he owed much of his success,
not only because of what she
had put into his head, but
what she had put into his life,