What is respect?

 

“So what did you learn from your visit to Earth?”

God asked eagerly to the angel he had sent.

“Do my children love each other? Do they live in peace?

Do they respect the world I created for them?” he queried.

 

The angel answered with sadness. “My Lord!

The young children you created respect their elders.

But, their parents do not respect their own parents.

Why so My Lord?” questioned the angel, confused.

 

God sighed deeply. “My angel,” he said ponderously.

“I taught man to respect all equally.

But sadly he does not practice what he preaches.

If only the child was really the father of man,

how different the world would be.”

 

“For respect cannot be taught for it is not a skill.

Respect cannot be bought for it is not a commodity.

Respect cannot be given for it is not a possession.

Respect cannot be taken for it is not a gift.

 

Respect has to come from within, naturally without urging.

It is an emotion that should arise without prodding.

Respect is a realization that changes perspectives.

Respect is a feeling that endows you with insight,” concluded God.


Image – Indian Yogi (Yogi Madhav) via unsplash

 

 

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About Sonal Singh

An author, storyteller, and full-time observer of life’s glorious absurdities. I write humour-laced stories where chaos wears fluffy fur, emotions arrive uninvited, and middle-class Indian households become ecosystems of drama, love, and unsolicited advice. Armed with sarcasm, caffeine, and alarming emotional attachment to stray creatures, I believe compassion is less of a virtue and more of a lifestyle disorder. One that I embrace. When I’m not writing, I’m usually busy running a full-time HR consultancy business, rescuing animals, or trying to maintain dignity while being emotionally manipulated by my pets. Through my literary work, I try to blend humour with heart, celebrating the messy coexistence of humans and non-humans in modern urban India.

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