R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Respect, should you earn it or should it be given? Some say they don’t give respect unless they receive it first, while others go their whole lives respecting others but never themselves. Respect has a broad range of categories and seems people only acknowledge a few of them. How do you use respect?

In my life respect was pounded into my head harder than anyone could imagine. My mother was one in a few that had kids who put the toys away at the doctors office or always said “yes sir, no sir.” My mother’s philosophy was that no one is going to respect you unless you respect them and sometimes respect needed to be demanded. My mother the loving caring person she is, has demanded my respect since I was a toddler. My mother, wasn’t a friend she was authority. She was my mother and only my mother and not until I was older did I know what she meant. Being respectful means to do as I am told and listen. If I did not achieve this or get lazy with my manner my mom had a way of striating me out so it wouldn’t happen again.

I have seen how people are when they feel respected and when they don’t. Being raised the way I was it wasn’t often that I was disrespectful away from home. My mom always told us if you don’t use your manners and be polite at your friends houses they wont want you to come back and since I never wanted to be banned from a friend’s house my manners were always packed in my overnight bag. Although I have seen disrespect and the consequence of it first hand. When I was young, my brother, two cousins and I decided it would be fun to play hide and seek in a church that was next door to the birthday party we were at, even though my aunt specifically told us not to. My aunt came looking for us when she went in the church she found muddy footprints. My aunt set our butts on fire and made us clean the whole church. At arrival to our house she looked in the backseat and told us that she was never going to take us to another event like that again and that she was so very disappointed in us. We went inside and were sent to bed early. From that day forward when an adult told me I wasn’t allowed to do something boy did I listen. Now that I am becoming an adult I am so grateful for my mother’s ways. I understand respect is a way of life, it teaches you how to treat people and yourself because if you have self respect other will respect you.

My mother’s philosophy will be with me forever. Respect is only given to those who are respectful. You earn respect by giving it and if you give and don’t receive it then you demand it.