Manners Matter

I thought I would write this month about a topic that is on my mind often right now. Whatever happened to manners? When we were all brought up, there was a certain set of manners that we adhered to. It was kind of the oil that made everything work.  Whether you felt like it or not, there was a certain set of decorum that you adhered to keeping everything civil. Along with manners was respect.  Whether you did or didn’t like someone’s beliefs or actions you did believe they had a right to have them and you still could like them as a person and be in their presence.  You could still have a good time in the areas where you did agree and have a spirited conversation in those you didn’t because of manners and respect and the golden rule. Of all the things missing in our society right now, it seems to me to be one of the saddest. It allows people to say and do things that should not be done and said outright in polite society and causes damage to relationships and an atmosphere of hate. Deep down it seems we all want and need the same things emotionally - love, trust, security, peacefulness within. To have those things we need to have the Golden role in place. We need to make sure our youth understand manners and respect and simultaneously that they are able to have their own thoughts and opinions (which can be brought forth in a polite manner or kept to oneself). I don’t know what the answer is to that. I think I’ll just go about spreading kindness and fairy dust and hope it lands on fertile ground. Have a spectacular month!