Years ago while visiting Arlington National Cemetery, my family and I observed the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

It’s an awe-inspiring ritual.

Before the ceremony began, we sat with the crowd as the current guard walked the twenty one paces. A highly ranked soldier came to the middle of the observation area and respectfully but sternly requested all to stand for the ceremony. The crowd complied and remained silent.

In the front row of the crowd was a nicely dressed man in his sixties, who happened to have a hat on. As the ceremony was starting, a young man in his early twenties, wearing sandals and covered in tattoos, discretely made his way to the front. I will always remember what happened.

The young man whispered to the older man, “please take your hat off sir.”

The older man immediately took the hat off, and I’m guessing by his reaction, he had simply forgotten he had the hat on. Im sure he didn’t intend any disrespect.

The lesson for me was clear.

Respect isn’t always dressed to impress, wrapped in a uniform, or reserved for those with more experience.

Respect is learned.
Respect is practiced.
Respect is a mindset.

I have immense respect for our military. I am overwhelmed with the sacrifices a soldier and his or her family offers for our country. I sense a debt of gratitude every time I see an active soldier or a veteran.

While it’s true, the kind of respect I’m speaking about is earned. I also have this spiritual pull that encourages me to show a level of respect to everyone. In fact, I am compelled to see other people with respectful eyes.

I know not everyone lives a life worthy of respect. Not everyone’s actions deserve respect. Not everyone’s words require a respectful response.

But every person is also made up of more than their attitudes, actions, or words.

And I wonder.

What if we treated each other with respect to begin with, would the attitudes, actions, and words that resulted be different.

I think so.

Thank you to all our active duty Military, our Veterans, and the families, I appreciate everything more than I can explain.

And I encourage all of us to live with more respect for each other. It won’t fix all of our problems. But it may help us collectively create a better world.

-Tom Wise