The word from my heart pocket is Responsible.
It takes a village. It's great when the village gets together to help one of its own. Tasks get done quicker and the bond that teamwork creates is unparalleled. Acting responsibly toward our fellow man is a beautiful choice. Responsibility through volunteer work and donations to causes, response to disaster and crisis feels good, and when we are helpless to single-handedly tackle clean-up or mass medical attention after a big disaster, joining en masse truly matters.
What about day-to-day? Do we not have these opportunities on the small scale? Are we not able to reach out responsibly in little ways? Little things that make big changes in one person's life? If you are a regular volunteer, you are doing this. If you are a willing caregiver, your attitude alone is a beautiful example of responsibility. If you see someone in need and don't hesitate to offer aid, your response is a gift beyond compare. Sometimes just the offer is aid enough.
Being responsible with respect to others makes the world move more smoothly. Let's name some instances - neighbors, family, animal friends, disabled, less fortunate, our beautiful earth, children, elderly. I'm not talking about taking control of lives or removing the dignity of living from a person. Responsibility is 100% ABOUT dignity, whether it is for someone else or for oneself.
Where do we learn how to be responsible? From our parents, our original caregivers, yes. We give them credit for the good and the bad but at some point, it's time to be responsible for your life condition and take the credit - for the good and the bad - by yourself.
Responsibility is about accountability. It is a mature trait, a sign of adulthood. The way to create responsibility - in children, in the elderly, in ourselves - is to let go of control and allow mistakes. This is not to be confused with allowing danger to take place. We humans learn well when we given the chance to fly. If we are answerable to our mistakes as well as our triumphs, we learn the glory of responsibility, and confidence is born. Confidence leads to trust. Trust makes the factory run smoothly.
Sometimes being responsible means asking for help. Much of life requires help from the village. By asking, we show a fine example of responsibility and we give the gift of the opportunity to be responsible to others. There is no right or wrong. There is no resentment or blame or shame.
When responsibility feels like a burden, examine it. Are you carrying too much? Do you need to be responsible and ask for help? When someone you know is struggling under the weight of responsibility, explore the idea of aid. How can you lighten the load but preserve the dignity of the person you want to help?
When you're minding the store, be responsible. When you're in charge of the classroom, be responsible. When you get the chance, be responsible.
Response - able. Responsible. It works every time.
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