Intelligence is so scarce among adults today that it's surprising that it's children who are showing high levels of intelligence. Some grownups would talk, and you would wonder what part of life hit this fellow that made him or her so thoughtless, feeling disappointed at whatever was said by such an individual.
My baby sister, who happened to be the last child of the family, kind of had rapid growth. She grew faster than her age, and the words that come out of her mouth at times leave you wondering how old she is. She is presently seven years old and will be eight years old in two months. She had been an amazing girl with her intelligence since her childhood, and that tells so much about her.
Her elder brothers are eight years and six years older than her, respectively, but she always has a way of relating to them, though they, as boys, want to exercise some rights over her being the older one. There was a time I went home to visit them, and a fight broke out between her and her first elder brother.
Her brother was shouting at her, telling her to take some clothes inside, but she refused as she was looking directly into his eyes while being quiet. "Didn't you hear me?" Ade (real name withheld) snapped at her. She remained quiet and was looking at him. I sat down, and I was looking at them both to see how the event would turn out.
When Ade saw that she didn't answer him, he called my attention to command her to take the clothes in. Then I asked her why she wasn't answering her brother; she smiled and said, "Big sis, respect is not forced; it's earned." I didn't answer him, not because I was rude but because I wanted him to do it right. He was shouting at me because he is my elder brother and he wants me to listen to him. There are better ways; he could pass the message across without shouting, and I will do it willingly, but because he doesn't know the right way, I decided not to answer him.".
For a moment, I was silent, trying to process all she said, then I saw the sense in everything she said. She concluded with, "Do unto others what you would like them to do to you." At that point, before correcting her, all I could say was wow.
I smiled and told her she was right, then calmly told her to take the clothes, which she did, then I corrected Ade and made him see where he got it wrong. That day, this young girl taught me a lesson that I had held onto until now.
Being older doesn't give one the right to trample on your younger ones' rights; those little ones too have the right to speak their mind and complain about things they aren't comfortable with. Although what she did that day may sound a bit disrespectful, she was able to pass the message she wanted across to her brother. In doing so, she taught her brother and myself a lesson.
She taught me that one way to be respected is to earn it, not force it, because you are older, and among my siblings, I've put that into action. Whenever I want to pass a message across to them, I don't force it on them, and they willingly do whatever it is I want them to do, making the bond between us all stronger and more cherished.
Thanks for your time, and your comments will be appreciated.