The two-year-old, normally a quite obedient little boy, was having an attack of stubbornness—a disease endemic to the species. Still, it was surprising to see such a severe case in one of such tender years. His mother had asked the lad to do something, but he was much too absorbed in his own activities to take time out for that. The father watched as the mother went over to impress on the little boy the importance of minding his parents promptly—to which he responded with a right hook to the jaw of his surprised mother! The father, realizing that his son’s behavior was completely unacceptable and would become dangerous not only to the mother but to the child as well if it were allowed to continue, intervened at this point by giving the wouldbe boxer the worst spanking of his young life, after which he was sent to his room.

Ten minutes later, the child was back, tears still streaming down his cherub face, and crawled sobbing into the father’s lap as he put his chubby little arms around his neck. What followed is one of the warmest and tenderest memories in this father’s heart. What the child said was not “I’m sorry, Dad,” or “I won’t do it again,” but—with a wisdom and perception far beyond his years—“I love you, Dad!”