Seven Holy Virtues: Prudence

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought

to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.

Proverbs 14:8

prudent adj. 1 capable of exercising sound judgment in practical 

matters, especially as concerns one's own interests

2 cautious or discreet in conduct, circumspect, not rash

3 managing carefully and with economy

When I began my journey through the Seven Deadly Sins, I had no idea that there were Seven Holy Virtues on the opposite side of the equation.  The list is divided into Three Spiritual Virtues and the Four Cardinal Virtues.  I thought I would start with the cardinal (or main) virtues - the first of which is Prudence.

When I looked up the definition of  "prudent" in the dictionary, I started to laugh. It is a definitive description of my father, Clancy.  Exercising sound judgment in practical matters?  Absolutely.  Dad was a printer who managed the composing room for the city newspaper.  He always had a family budget that he adhered to without question.  If additional monies were needed for special occasions or unexpected expenses, my father would sharpen saws or re-rag a Cessna.  He used to tell me that, "Idle fingers are the devil's playground," and believe me, he was never idle.

You could confide anything to Clancy, and you knew without a shred of doubt that it would stay under his hat.  Dad would never betray a confidence, or be a party to gossip.  He was, by documentation and admission, a hellion as a younger man.  But he grew into a discreet adult, never rash - rarely, if ever, stupid.  He had very little formal education, but a wealth of common sense and practicality.

Managing carefully and with economy?  Oh, yeah.  Dad was a depression survivor, and he never forgot the lessons learned.  Every single Friday he purchased a United States Savings Bond.  On the weekends, he would go for walks that encompassed the State Fairgrounds, including the huge parking lots.  Dad would walk methodically over that asphalt - picking up aluminum cans to cash in, and pocketing anything else that looked of value.  After his death, I was cleaning out his huge desk in the family room.  I had carefully examined everything in one of the drawers, or so I thought.  As I tipped it up to dump all the dirt in the garbage can, a shiny glint of gold caught my eye.  Digging through the thick dust, I pulled out a stunning cocktail ring - 14 carat gold, with miniscule diamonds and significant deep-blue sapphires.  I'm sure he found it on one of his morning forays. It is one of my most treasured possessions.

Dad always reminded me to "take your brain out of park before putting your mouth in gear."   He raised me to be cautious in business, discreet in relationships, careful with money, and quiet with my words.  He was the best teacher a child could ever have.