Peace in Respect

Glasses, ping tales, bushy eye brows, and huge baggy jeans. I was “four eyes”. I was “anorexic”. I was “bulimic”. I was the elementary and middle school girl who wished she had straight hair, a thicker body, and perfect eye sight. I was self conscious before I even know what self conscious meant. My mother repeatedly encouraged me to ignore it people who stared at awkwardly, teased and bullied me. “Don’t listen to them. Don’t let them matter. They are wrong, you’re beautiful.” But in my mind I was convinced that talking back and criticizing people the way they did to me was a justified response to the scornful comments I received. As a response to my actions, children only laughed more, and grew to disrespect me.

My mother’s morals of being eternally courteous and ignoring negative comments were a form of respect I slowly appreciated as I grew with age. My family raised me to understand that the best revenge is giving no revenge at all. Respecting everyone would never hurt me. My experiences have confirmed for me that causing someone harm in anyway will not ever benefit me.

I work as a cashier in a market filled with international foods. I find myself in daily situations where people ask for the bread behind the counter that is taken because it’s the last that is left. People beg me, and eventually yell at me for the bread I cannot give them. I noticed that respecting the customers by talking to them in a soft tone works far better than speaking to them in a disrespectful tone. I have gained the understanding that no matter how much I want to be angry with someone, it will only be a reason for them to retaliate. But if I show that I understand where someone is coming from and respect their viewpoints, it can’t get any worse than it is already is, and may even make a situation better.

You don’t have to like a person to be nice to them. You don’t have to agree with a person to respect them. The population has learned to interact with people of different cultures and morals without bashing each other based on their differences.

As a Muslim with deep faith, I have attended my friend’s church events and still held onto my beliefs. I enjoy learning about different religions and understand that our diverse beliefs are worth being respected. Knowing that I am Muslim, the people from church welcomed me with open arms with no intentions of straying me from my beliefs. It is respect that encourages civil interactions and an understanding of personal outlooks.

The little girl doesn’t need to hate the people that tried to give the false imagine that society encouraged. She doesn’t need to agree with them or change herself to satisfy them; because she has formed a respect that rises above any criticism thrown upon her.