THE REACH OF RESPECT

It's easy to demand respect from our children, but does that teach anything in the long run? I come from the South and yes, it's been said that we use the "yes sir" and "no ma'am" quite regularly with those who are our senior. And, growing up in Louisiana and Texas, we never called a grown-up by their first name... When I moved up to Colorado as an adult, new friends were amazed at such vernacular. Well, after all these years I still feel that there's a place for being polite, courteous and respectful. And, yes, we are endeavoring to teach this principle of respect to our children. My son and I have entered into the Respect Project together. He understands that my goal is to truly help him. So, when he shows respect, he gets rewarded and when he doesn't, he will get some healthy form of discipline. My strong feeling is that if he can learn respect at an early age, more doors will open for him in his future, opportunities that could take him to the next level. We as adults need to be reminded of this as well. And, using the excuse "I'm not a people person" doesn't work here. EVERYONE deserves some level of respect - if for no other reason, that they are a part of the human race. I would venture to say that a great deal of relational and organizational challenges could be better tackled if we started with a little more RESPECT. So, let's work on this together, whatayasay? The lesson of respect is better caught than taught! The assignment begins with us: Give opportunity for others to be heard; allow someone the right-of-way on the road today; say hello, thank you and offer a helping hand... The reach of respect can go a long way!