I heard on the radio today that NBC is coming up with a new reality TV show called “My Dad’s Better Than Yours”. I’m not sure what the premise of the show is, but basically it pits father/son and father/daughter pairs against each other for a chance to win $50,000.
I don’t know if my dad is necessarily better than anybody else’s father but I think he’s pretty darn good. I don’t agree with all my of parents’ child-rearing practices (spoken like a true unbiased child), but I know they’ve helped shaped me into the person I am today. My dad has taught me many lessons, but here is one I will never forget.
The summer before I entered the 2nd grade, my family and I moved to Guam from Manila. I didn’t have many friends yet and often stayed at home and played with my younger sister. My aunt, then a high school English teacher, offered one day to take me to school to help decorate her classroom for the upcoming school year. It was my first ‘trip’ away from my parents since moving to Guam so I was thrilled.
Before we left the house, my dad took me aside and had a little heart to heart with little me.
“Behave yourself. Remember to show respect to everyone you come across. Look them in the eyes and say, ‘Good morning.’ or ‘Good afternoon.’”
“Yes, dad,” I nodded, then was on my way.
I had a great time that day. There were books and colorful butcher paper, stencils and bulletin board borders, “Welcome Back to School!” signs and calendars and chalk … it was a nerdy little girl’s dream come true! When I got home later that afternoon, my dad asked how my day went.
“I had a lot of fun!” as I proceeded to tell him about my adventures in the classroom. “And on my way to the bathroom I ran into 3 people in the hallway!! But I only said good morning to two of them.”
Puzzled, my dad asked, “Why only two?”
“Because they were teachers, but the other person was just a janitor so I didn’t say hi to her.”
I will never forget the look on my dad’s face when he heard me say that; it was a mixture of “kids say the darndest things” and “who taught my daughter to be a snot at such a younge age?!”
But instead of getting upset, he calmly sat me down and gave me one of the most important life lessons I’ve ever learned.
“You should respect all people. Don’t pick and choose who you respect based on what they do for a living or how they are dressed.”
I remember, at 7 years old, feeling embarrassed and humbled all at once. I wanted to run back to the school, find the janitor, look her in the eye and say “Good morning! I’m so sorry! I do respect you.”
Years later, that conversation with my dad still has an indelible mark on me. I still try to respect all who I come across, even beyond looking them in the eyes and saying a polite greeting.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” -Proverbs 22:6
