Respect is an important virtue in our everyday life as it formsthe backbone of harmony and peace in our relationship with our fellowmen. Think about it, if men respected each other, there would be no wars. There would be no need to manufacture warfare materiel. If man respected his neighbor, we wouldn't have thefts, robbery, kidnapping, car napping, adultery and other such crimes. Instead, man would live in peace and harmony with everything and everyone.
There are two ancient legends that teach us about the virtue of respect. Uncannily, they are all about women. The first is the legend of Maria Makiling or the goddess of Mount Makiling in Laguna. The story tells of the misfortunes that befell hunters who dared harm and kill the wildlife that she loved and protected. She punished them by sending a monster to retrieve the harmed creatures. The second story is a bit similar. It revolves around Pele, goddess of Hawaiian volcanoes. She forbade taking of stones, rocks, etc. from the mountainside. If one did, woe to that person as she would curse them with bad luck and misfortune. In her anger, the volcanoes would erupt until the stolen stones and rocks were returned. These two legends show us the importance of Respect for Mother Nature. This follows that since we are all part of God’s creations, we ought to respect each other.
We can show respect properly to elders by greeting them in a variety of ways: by kissing them on the cheek or doing the traditional "mano po". Another way to show respect is not to butt in impolitely while people are engaged in a conversation or talking on the phone. We show respect by asking permission if we need to borrow things; we show respect by returning them on time. And when we return things, we put them back in their proper place so as not to inconvenience others who will later look for those items. One of the things my Mama always reminds me about is this, "If it isn’t yours, don't touch it." That bit of advice can save us from getting into a lot of trouble.
In conclusion, by showing respect to others, we show respect for ourselves and especially for the Lord. He respected us so much that he made us in His image and likeness. For that, we owe him our love and utmost respect. Remember, one of the two greatest commandments is "love you neighbor as yourself," and definitely, that applies to respecting all living creatures, even plants and animals.