There's a bit of a story to this one, and I think it's worth telling to get the "full circle" story... Earlier this year Em took a karate class offered through the after school academy. We thought it would be a great idea for her to learn some self defense skills and also to learn some of the discipline associated with karate. Although we weren't impressed with the class in a whole, there were some things that we liked about it. We really liked that the instructor opened and closed every class with the definitions of "discipline" and "respect". We believe that along with being kind, our children should have respect for others, and themselves, above all... without respect it seems that many other character traits aren't given the proper basis for development. Even as adults we, (all of us I'm sure, but this is a personal biggie for me) have relationships where we aren't given the respect that we deserve. When somebody has no respect for you, they believe that they can treat you in any way they see fit... we are trying to instill in our kids that we need to be loving to others, regardless of the way they treat us. We want Emily to know that even though others may not always respect us, we should show them the respect we would like to be given. None of us are perfect and we all disrespect others at some point, and unfortunately we will continue to do so. I, personally, had a difficult time with this one until I realized that the only person that was getting "hurt" by my actions was me, and that I could, if nothing else, control my own actions. I've heard The Serenity Prayer countless times, but one day it just clicked with me and it changed my heart, and it has been a huge blessing to me. Ok, ok... back to the story... fast forward to March, six months after Emily finishes karate... I'm going through Emily's backpack Monday and there is a folded paper that says "To the Parents of Emily Kahler". Now some parents may think "uh-oh", and I'll admit that I did for just a second, then realized that if it was "bad" news, it would have been in a sealed envelope marked confidential and that I probably would have gotten a phone call. Not to mention, Em isn't that kind of kid. I opened the paper to read that Emily is being honored at an assembly for the "Kid of Character" recognition and that the character trait for the month is... you guessed it, RESPECT! I know that we are all proud of our children, but I was especially proud of Em for this one. We know that Emily is kind and fair, even when we're not there to remind her, we don't worry about those traits in her. Now we know that even when nobody is watching, and when she isn't being prompted, that she shows respect to others. She knows that this is important, in any situation, to any person and we are so proud of her for this! I know to some people it's just a piece of paper that most kids get in school, everybody getting one so that it's fair and equal and all... that's truly not the case, and to us it is so much more. To us, it's evidence that even though it may not always seem like it, our kids really do get it. They really do want to be the best that they can be, and they want to give their best to others. Such a sweetheart we have, and we are so proud of her!
We're going to celebrate with Cold Stone (she got a certificate along with her award, and honestly, doesn't it sound so good!?), and we are also painting the garage tonight! If you're in the mood to paint, give us a call, we won't turn down the help!!!
Have a fantastic weekend!
Happy, Happy Friday!
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