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"He who faces no calamity will need no courage. Mysterious though it is, the characteristics in human nature which we love best grow in a soil with a strong mixture of trouble."

A famous American preacher, Harry Emerson Fosdick, penned these words.

Perhaps the updated phrase that captures Fosdick's wisdom is: No pain, no gain. Nowhere in the human experience does this truth apply more clearly than in the unfolding story shaping the lives of kids of character.

Just as a physical workout initially tears down muscle tissue in order to strengthen, so can the failed character moment provide the painful life encounter that can strengthen our ethical and moral development.

I recall an incident when I was 14. I decided to jump the fence to get into the Friday night high school football game for free. The next morning, feeling sheepish about my actions, I told my mom and dad.

My dad said, "Well, I guess next Friday you'll need to pay double."

I anguished for a week trying to figure out how I was going to walk up to the football ticket booth to pay double. But, that's what I did. As I plopped down my money, the attendant said, "You gave me too much."

I replied, "No, I didn't. That's what I owe you."

A troublesome moment? Yes. More significantly, it was a defining moment in building up my character. That night I learned I could practice responsible actions to correct past failures. Looking through the lens of my life 40-plus years later, I know I discovered a truth for character growth that Fall evening: I can fail into character success.

Parents, grandparents and teachers can bring meaning to the lives of kids by giving them the privileged opportunity of facing down troublesome, failed decisions.

Often, our adult first instinct wants to shield kids from the consequence of a poor decision. Yet, when we remember that it is a privilege to live with responsibility for our thoughts, feelings and actions, we can give kids the opportunity to master their life by failing into success.