Character lessons

 

Of all of the projects taken on by our Foundation, the one of which I'm most proud is Mighty In Character. Its title conveys perfectly what we want our children to be. No matter how good-looking, how prosperous or how talented you are, all of that means nothing if you are character-deficient.

Don't think that people won't notice. Your character is always as visible as if you were wearing your soul outside your body, like a jacket or a hat. Every time you park illegally in a handicapped spot, cut someone off in traffic, snarl at a waiter or grab the best seat in the church pew for a quick and easy exit, you display for all to see who you really are. (You also risk being "outed" by a video posted forever after on the Internet!)

But who notices first and foremost? Your kids. And they'll know better than to reprimand you. So you'll assume that all is well. It's not. They've just received a permanent lesson in how to behave--as if they're privileged. Entitled. Better than everyone else. Now, that's scary.

Let's review the five categories of character: Kindness, Truth, Gratitude, Faith and Courage. Our children have cartoon figure Patchy to remind them. Adults may find him cute, but probably not as relevant to their busy lives. They'll need to police themselves; it's a kind of vigilance that doesn't come naturally.

That's why I love those news stories about people in fast-food drive-thrus who pay for a customer behind them, and then drive away before anyone can get out to thank them. Or those who stop on a freeway to rescue a frightened dog. Or hand a $10 bill to a homeless guy holding a sign.

So if you catch yourself forgetting your manners (and therefore your character), it's perfectly acceptable to shake your head and say to your son or daughter, "I'm sorry you saw that. I apologize." And when the opposite happens, when you display courtesy, kindness, forgiveness or guts…say absolutely nothing. Just do it. They'll get the message.

 

 


Add a Comment

 

Return to Blog Listing

 

 

Latest Posts