Free Journey

Respect is defined by Webster’s as to consider worthy of high regard: ESTEEM b) to refrain from interfering with 2. To have reference to: CONCERN. Of course this is the short version. There are actually two references to respect with multiple contexts with which to use the word.

Such a simple act, you don’t know what something is you look it up. But defining respect is not enough to foster respect. I feel I have been a good parent. I have faced the challenges and prevailed. Some of these challenges have been that of my own doing but as my child matures I am faced with challenges that I am powerless over.

The challenge that still eludes is me the challenge of teaching respect. I attempt and I feel succeed at treating people, my child, friends, family, strangers with respect. I model this behavior. I have stooped so low as to beg my child to please respect others at least. Feel free to treat me badly but please respect others. It is not happening.

I feel like such a failure when it comes to teaching my child basic principles, morals, values, integrity. I experience life in such a manner that I know I am not modeling all the character defects that I see my child portray. I try to separate just being a kid and being at risk. I am not sure how to react. I am blindsided when incidents occur and I thought we were progressing. I thought she was practicing integrity. I know the consequences for the behavior I found out about today but how do I teach from this. How do I show her there is another way?

I learned all of these life lessons the hard way. I learned them my own way. Usually by experiencing the very worst there was experience. I don’t want her to go out like that. But, I am powerless. The best I can do is let my feet report to the carpet. Keep doing the next right thing and have faith that God wants the same as I, to break the cycle now.

posted by freedom14 @ 3:39 PM