I think every parent out there can relate to today’s story. Your child comes home from school, complaining that the teacher was “unfair” to them. You may have reacted in a variety of ways. I know I did. But whatever my reaction turned out to be, it always started with asking the same question, a version of “Would I be proud?”

You see, each time, I would ask my child to imagine I had been standing in the back of the classroom when the teacher said or did whatever they said or did. Instructing them to disregard the teacher’s words or deeds for a moment, I would ask my child if I would be proud of how THEY acted before or immediately after the teacher’s actions.

Sometimes, my child would hang his/her head (son or daughter, in my case) and honestly say, “No Mom, you wouldn’t have been proud.”

In that case, no further action would be taken.

But when my child responded with, “Yes Mom, you would have! I wasn’t rude. I was respectful. Blah blah blah …” then the school got a call or a visit, knowing that now it was time for parental intervention.

Why the story?

Because today, as you go about your day, I want you to check in with yourself. I want you to ask yourself if you are proud of how you treated that server, that bus driver, that pedestrian, that store clerk, that homeless person, that child, that other driver …

Because change starts with you and me, my friend. And every day, I do my best to make sure if my Mom asked, damn rights, she would be proud.
 

I love you!
HUGSSSSSSS
Sandi