Are you entitled to respect?

Image by Sinthonia via Flickr

We are told that respect should be given to certain people not because of the person, but because of a position that person holds. In many cases, we may not like our President or the grumpy old man next door who fought for our country, but we often come to terms with our dislikes by saying "I may not like him, but I respect him."

I'm not against the idea of respecting others because of their position, but those who are searching for respect from others can often find themselves dissapointed and unsatisfied when they use their position or status as an entitlement to respect. It seems shallow.

All this leads me to questions about parenthood. Do you earn respect from your children or do you expect it because you're their parent?

Give reasons to be honored and respected. Don't just take it.