Respect is earned, and it’s slow to build and quick to lose. I’ve believed that for a long time, but I watched it play out this past week.
A family crisis doesn’t change people. It removes the cushion. Everyday life lets almost anyone look reliable, because the stakes are low and nobody is keeping score. Then something real happens, and the schedule clears, and you find out who already knew what to do.
Some people just start. They don’t wait to be asked or ask for credit. They skip meals, cancel their own plans, and keep going. Others have good intentions and a reason why the timing is hard, and then they wait to be told what’s needed.
Here is what I took from it: if you have to be asked, you’re already late. The people worth respecting ask “what do you need?” and don’t wait for the answer to arrive on its own.
I watched someone I love carry far more than her share, quietly, without keeping a tally. It reminded me that respect isn’t a title or a relationship. It’s a record, built one showing-up at a time.
So I’m asking myself the question I’d ask anyone: when it’s my turn, which kind of person will I be?
Until next time,
Stay Old, Bold, and Bold and a little Grumpy too!
