I once heard a young man say to an older man, “You’re getting a little older now and you can’t do…” Before he could finish, the older man quickly piped up and said, “You listen here, young man. One day they’ll be an older man knocking at your front door, too.” I have never forgotten that and I think of it often when I see older people.
Respect the old when you are young. Help the weak when you are strong. Confess the fault when you are wrong. Because one day in life, you will be old, weak and wrong. ~Unknown.
I was always taught to respect my elders. Even if I didn’t like them, I had better respect them. That’s just the way it was. And we did–us 4 girls always had great respect for older people. I think part of it was due to having a grandmother who helped raise us. We saw her sacrifice for us and we recognized everything she did for us. That created great respect and we had that kind of respect for other elderly people as well.
I was in Wal-mart the other day and I saw a woman literally holding herself up by her shopping cart. She probably didn’t weigh 90 pounds. I pulled my cart to the side of the produce section and was making my way to her cart when a 16-year-old young man got there before I could. I heard him say, “Are you okay, mam”? She said that she was feeling weak. He told her that he would do her shopping for her and she could sit in one of the motorized wheelchairs. She smiled and said, “Oh, sweetie, that would be so sweet of you. You are so strong looking.” He just smiled. I told him I’d wait with her while he got the wheelchair/cart and he ran off.
She said, “Isn’t that nice of him?” I don’t know him. He just offered to help me. And I am feeling so weak today, I am going to let him.” I asked her how she got there and she said she took a cab and that it would only take her a few minutes to do her shopping and the cab was waiting on her. By this time, the “strong” teen was back and I told him that she was in a cab and the cab was waiting. He said he would hurry and make sure she got home and inside safely.
I said, “I know your parents are proud of you, aren’t they?” He turned a little red and said, “Yes mam”. I knew in my heart that God had placed him in the exact place he was supposed to be. I wished them both a good day, finished my shopping, crying and thanking God for 16-year-old “strong” young men and was off for the rest of my day.
And when it comes to being wrong, just admit it. And if you need to apologize, do it. No one has ever choked to death by swallowing their pride. I’ve seen relationships destroyed because one or both partners aren’t able to admit they are wrong and apologize. Friendships are destroyed, marriages, relationships, work relationships and parental/older children relationships are destroyed. Why? Because people can’t admit when they are wrong and apologize.
There is going to come a day when we are old, weak and wrong. Every. single. one. of. us.
Sending you blessings of love and gratitude from Sterrett, Alabama!
Charity
Copyright © Charity M. Richey-Bentley 2018
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