Thankfulness and Respect
From the archives…
We’re a pretty ungrateful bunch of folks, if you really stop and think about it.
Some people might call me “old school” or just attribute my manners to being Southern, but I believe that the American LACK of gratitude and respect is at the very core of what is wrong with our Nation.
We don’t say “please” and “thank you” or “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am” or “yes sir” and “no sir” any more. And don’t tell me that’s just a Southern thing. Look at the United States military. “Sir, yes, sir!” or “Sir, no, sir!” That’s not a Southern thing…it’s a sign of respect, across the board.
It’s the Thanksgiving Holiday, but this is one of my pet peeves. It’s a soapbox issue for me, one that really hacks me off. Kids aren’t expected to have manners any more and I’m tired of it!
Parents, why in the world do you let your kids get away with “huh” and “what” and “yea” and “ok”? Don’t you want your kids to perform well in job interview one day? Or what about when they go for an interview for a scholarship? Oh…that’s right…since they don’t show respect for others, they probably have no self-respect either, so going to college probably isn’t a big deal to them. It is your RIGHT and your RESPONSIBILITY, as a parent, to teach your children these to VITAL lessons.
That’s harsh, eh?
GiGi has been fussing at me lately about apologizing on the radio show for things I shouldn’t be sorry for…like being passionate about a particular subject. This is one of those subjects. So I’m not sorry. If you’re offended, you’re probably just feeling guilty.
I don’t mean to come on here and bash you or judge you, but I do mean to speak the Truth. It will set every one of us free.
Thankfulness is a big deal!
It’s a GOD deal!
Teach your children to be thankful, to publicly express thanks, and to respect their elders, their peers, and themselves!
Here’s another thing: I’m nearly thirty-years-old, and one “old-fashioned” thing I still believe in is the “power of the pen”.
“Huh?”, you say.
Yes, the power of paper and pen and sending someone a hand-written “thank you” note for a particularly nice gesture. Lindsey and I have STACKS of blank cards and we do our best to say “thanks” on many different occasions.
One way that I put this into practice, is by sending a “thank you” card to every co-host or guest that comes on TheATTIC Talk Radio. It’s important. Someone has given me 15 minutes to an hour and 1/2 of their time. They’ve sacrificed their time at work, time with family, or a date night with a spouse, and they have given FREELY to spend time with teenagers during an online radio show. THAT’S GENEROUS! So, the very least that I can do, is take two minutes out of my day to write a specific note to that person and express a few sincere words of “thanks”.
I’d love to hear from you on this topic. Tell me what you’re thankful for. Tell me what you take for granted. It’s November, but we should give thanks every single day.
If you can find nothing else to give thanks for, you can SHOUT “thank you!” because…
…God loves teenagers!
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