Jami and I were having a discussion while on one of our walks a couple of days ago. And during the discussion, we realized that we haven’t hit the topic in question hard enough with our own kids. It’s an action that if taken, shows that you as a person cares and that you’re thoughtful and mature.
It’s easily taught through teaching moments with our kids. I taught it and modeled it every day when I was leading a Boys and Girls Club site. But I’ve failed to do this with my own kids.
When I was growing up, my dad would routinely model this behavior after each baseball practice or game. My mom modeled it when we went to a friend’s home. It’s super simple.
Leave it better than you found it.
It didn’t matter if it was a park, a dugout or someone’s home. Before we left, we always… always left it better than we found it. We didn’t just put things back. If there was trash there before we arrived, we made sure to throw it away and leave the space cleaner, better than when we found it.
Today, this needs to apply to human life as well. Now, more than ever, people are leaving other people worse than before they met. I don’t want to simply teach my kids to leave physical spaces better than they found it… as important as that is. It’s even more important that we, as human beings, leave others better as we interact with them. I want others to say after they meet me and my family, that they are better off for interacting with us… that we’ve had a positive impact, and to…
