My dad was an accountant, earning his license in the 1930s.  With his humble beginnings came many important values. Many of them manifested themselves in his business practice. For example, he would not charge widows to prepare their tax returns.

Dad seemed to have a respect for everyone; it was up to them to lose it. I believe his roots in small-town Mississippi and a few demons he battled, gave him an appreciation for all people because all have challenges. All are imperfect.  All have struggles in their story. And because of that same background, he understood that people can help people; in fact, they should.

At the root of it all was a sense of dignity. American Heritage Dictionary defines dignity as “The quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect.” Dad was no saint, and he understood that others were not either. His gravestone says, “He left for us a noble pattern.” Noble is not perfect. Dad presented himself as being worthy of respect. Some folks would say he was arrogant; I prefer to remember him as charmingly confident.

Amidst all that, he was humble enough to do for others. I believe it was because he had a sense of dignity for himself and for others. In one offer based on his desire to serve, he learned a lesson about dignity that I am glad that he shared.

One of his clients was a custodian. After completing the man’s tax return, dad told the man that there was no charge. The man objected and said he wanted to pay. Dad said that it was an easy return to do and that, knowing the man’s income, he wanted to do it for free.  The man said, “Don’t take away my dignity.” The incident left a huge impact on dad: Be careful to not diminish the dignity of others.

I’ve shared the story in writings and presentations; I’ve reminded myself of it many times. The lesson is profound, but lately I’ve seen another lesson, too.  For years, my focus was on the importance of honoring others’ dignity.  As of late, I have also focused on the importance of each person having dignity, that is, “the quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect.” To have dignity, we must be worthy of respect.

It seems like many people expect the respect of others, no matter their own values, behaviors or actions. It takes humility to understand worthiness; it takes humility to be dignified; it takes humility to respect the dignity of others. Humility seems to be in short supply nowadays.