Feeling Respected

I went on a little fall hike over the weekend. I looked down on this wall of rock, and here was this little magical garden growing. I loved the contrast and complexity and the improbability that life would be there on a rock. It caught my attention, or I paid attention. Either way I gave it a little value. This is how I think being respected feels.

Of course I can go on forever about what disrespect feels like. The late Rodney Dangerfield made a lot of money with that schtick. But respect is so much more subtle and enduring.

Just yesterday I felt respected by our literacy coach. (You rock, Judi!) It wasn't that she did anything huge. She gave me time. She listened to me. She was not judgemental. She appreciated the complexity of the situations I described. She respected me. We talked. She suggested. Nothing was solved, but I felt respected.

This makes me think of how respect isn't this huge fix everything bandage. It's more about being acknowledged. How do we respect ourselves? Our family? Our coworkers? The people and children around us?