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Somewhere, tucked away in the miles of gray matter knitted in my brain, there is a list of things that draw my immediate respect for the person who has those qualities, habits or occupations.

(Other than the first one, these are not in order.)

Anyone who loves Jesus and is not just going through the motions.

Mothers who give birth and Fathers who provide. And others who provide, unselfish in spirit, for anyone besides themselves.

Siblings who love one another and cherish time together.

People who make eye contact, and who, even if in a hurry, seem to at least acknowledge your existence.

Anyone who eats sushi.

Or kale.

It just sounds like a classy thing to do.

Those who rise at dawn to meditate before tackling their day.

Gardeners who tend their plants.

Anyone who served in the U.S. military or who is a first responder.

Writers of books and songs. And articles, whether I agree with them or not.

Artists and photographers, because they are looking to call attention to the beauty in life. (Or on the swing, likewise the ugly.)

All nurses.

Plumbers.

All teachers.

Preachers, pastors, chaplains and most definitely, youth and nursery workers.

Anyone who works in customer service.

All food, flower and tree farmers.

Anyone who succeeds at their passion.

And even more, those who fail the first time and keep on going, against all odds.

Those who drink tea 🫖

Obviously, Those who drink coffee, for we will bond over a cup lol.

Those who love others.

Those who lead the way and those who follow.

Anyone who can repurpose old supposed "junk" and make something beautiful.

Those who make up their mind to go for something, a goal, and keep their focus.

Those who are much older than me, for they have stories to tell, and there are lessons to be learned from them.

I respect everyone, simply because we are all human beings and commanded by God to love each other.

It has been said that if we want a better world, we need to show the world what that looks like.

Everyone has 24 hours in a day.

I like to ask myself, "What have you done with your time today?"