Hempstead City of Character

Meekness comes from the old Norse
word "mjakr," meaning, "soft, pliant,
gentle." Today it means, "gentle,
courteous, kind, and submissive." A
person who shows meekness is not a
"push-over," as we often think. He is
actually a very strong person who is able
to control his emotions so he doesn't say
or do something hurtful to others.

A meek person is able to stop and think
when he is hurt by others. He is able to
look at what happened from other's points
of view and ask himself if he might be
wrong. If he is, he is able to admit that and
to take steps to correct his wrong. In fact,
he is able to even show gratefulness to
his critics for helping him see his faults.

Wanting to live peaceably with others,
he is willing to yield his personal desires
and rights to others. He will, however,
stand firm for what he knows is right.
Above all, he shows respect for others by
controlling his own responses to them.

For many years, a well-trained horse has been an
example of power. For centuries, people have
praised the strength, endurance, and speed of
horses. Horses have been used for pulling chariots
since 1500 B.C. They have been used to help
farmers, communications, trade, and warriors for
hundreds of years.

Although stallions (male horses) are known for their
running and fighting ability, a good trainer is able to
gently overcome the horse's fear and train him to feel
safe and to respond to his trainer with meekness and

obedience. He has to establish his dominance over the horse, which a horse instinctively understands.
As the horse begins to grasp the benefits of yielding to this new dominant force in his life (grooming, feed, and
exercise), he begins to develop more meekness toward his trainer.

A well-trained stallion still represents power and strength and speed, but under the hand of a skillful trainer,
that power can be used for great productivity, not wasted in fearful reactions and fighting responses typical of
wild stallions.