Honoring Bettie

Honor is kind of a big deal to me. It is to Bettie too, though we express it in different ways. The diminishing of the importance of honor in society is something we frequently lament in conversations together. Well, we did until this.

As society moves to a more casual approach to almost everything, I suppose our attempt to be honoring to others may make us look more and more out of step. For example: If Bettie and I dress up for a performance (to honor the performers) -- or most any time we leave the house -- and even the performers don't take notice, or, worse yet, they think we look funny or perhaps overdressed, have we been honoring? I wonder.

Nevertheless, we will continue our "outdated" or "old fashioned" ways. Honor may be old fashioned but it's never out of style.

I talked about honoring Bettie to family the other day: "Let's try to keep the kitchen looking as grandma would have it," was what I said to the grandchildren. Little stuff like that becomes even more important now I think. It keeps her presence real, though it isn't reality, for now. I find myself being more careful about the little things that are important to her, more careful than just last week even.

This shows the value of her uncompromising standards. They linger in her absence...and make us all better. What a woman!