Do you respect your parents?

Mom and I at Route 2 in Washington, December 2014

Without our parents, we would not exist. Our parents not only give us our identity but they create the healthy environment that allow us to grow to maturity. In short, we should respect our parents, if only for these simple, fundamental reasons.

But how do we respect our parents? In the Eastern, Confucian tradition, it is emphasized that children strictly obey their parents instructions, yet in Western culture based on Enlightenment-era thinking, children are encouraged to become independent, self-sufficient and find their own sense of fulfillment, however they may choose to find it. As a son of a Japanese mom and American dad, I think there is a balance somewhere between those two, but I think there are also are aspects where both of these traditions are lacking. I believe what brings parents the greatest joy is to see their children fulfill their deepest held ideals.

Why do I believe that? Because, simply put, life is short. In one life, there is only so much that we can do and accomplish. But if our deepest held ideals and dreams can live on through our children and our children's children as a family tradition, how much more joy and happiness will that bring us?

And what could bring a child greater fulfillment, than to bring one's parents joy that lasts far beyond one lifetime? Especially if the ideals are noble and grand, making a family tradition of pursuing those ideals paints one of the most beautiful images I can think of.