Among the many morsels of wisdom my Dad imparted before he died, one has always stuck with me; respect don’t expect. At first pass it sounds simple, then the second time it takes on new complexity. It took me a while to really understand what he meant and now that I do, I must remind myself repeatedly. “Respect” has always been one of the character traits I most value. Like most kids of my generation, I grew up being told “respect your elders”. I did, and still do but have changed my view some. I believe in respect of ALL people. To the best of my ability, no matter who they are, how old, faulted, irritating or rude, I do my best to show respect. I believe that hurt people hurt people and if we show people kindness and respect, there is a greater chance they will behave better in their next interaction. In keeping with my belief in ‘pay it forward’, I do believe one who gives respect will get it in return. I remember the day my Dad first shared his saying w...
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