Who was the biggest influence in your life to "pay it forward" or "do the right thing?"?

Question

My vote goes to my Mom and I so wish she had been around for longer than 24 years for me to learn from.

Answer 1

My grandmother mostly raised us. She was a hard as nails kind of person on the outside, embittered by the hardships of war and losing a husband and being left with 3 children to raise. If there was trouble, that woman could certainly handle it. Despite her hard shell, underneath she was the kindest most loving soul you could imagine, and after emigrating here to Canada along with many people from their little (Italian) town, she ran our household while my parents worked and watched half the kids in the neighbourhood too. Almost everyone called her "nonna" or grandma. Lunch at our table was always a good 10 kids (the school was just a block up the street.)

If we wanted more, she would always take whatever was on her plate and give it to us and put herself last. Her love for us was boundless.

Out of 5 grandkids, her and I had a really special bond and I was the one she relied on and trusted all her affairs to and I would look after her as she got on in years and took her to her doctors appointments and everything. When my kids came along, she was there with me every day just to keep me company, even though she could hardly hobble across the street anymore. She would stop traffic to cross and there were times I wondered if she was going to get hit, but people always stopped to let her by.

I tell my kids about her all the time and tell them how proud "nanu" would have been of the kids they are today, and they always say "I wish I had known her" and I say, well you do, because she lives in me and I am who I am because of her.

I learned so much from the tales she told me and never forgot them. It wasn't difficult to understand how she came to be the person she was after all she had been through. I guess I got my compassion and insight from her.

I think how you honour someone's life is to "pay forward" the love and ethics that they bestowed upon you. I hope my kids will also always remember that too.

There's enough hate and misery and I think the best thing you can leave behind is the ability to pay forward something good in this world.

Answer 2

The big (thrash) four was a term from the eighties for those four particular bands, how you deem them each is purely your opinion and thus is subjective. Each one of those bands has amazingly talented members, are highly regarded within the metal community and well respected and longeitivity is there for all to see, those bands have been around a while. Korn used to state there love for the old school thrash bands i.e metallica and slayer and have cited them as influences, I would say the 4 in place (the thrash four) are suited to there position and most of all, they're the thrash four meaning the big four thrash bands so the argument is null and void as black sabbath and korn arent thrash. Megadeth and anthrax are getting a raw deal as I havnt mentioned em, so lets say aswell as releasing there own awesome stuff they bridged a gap for crossover acts, with public enemy doing bring the noise they did the first rap metal song. And Mustaines brigade have been doing thrash right for ages, one of the best live acts as well as the other 3 and immense solos. They all deserve to be one of the 4.

Answer 3

My poor mom had a hard time raising us all alone, and she was sick to boot... paranoid schizophrenic. But I guess she taught us all how to be honest. Heck, I am so pathetically honest I couldn't even throw a plastic glass out the window that had spilled soda all over the car! (and was still leaking!) I couldn't even throw my gum out the window! And I couldn't skip the tollbooth even when I didn't have any change and knew the worker would give me an attitude... I let him take down my plate number and everything!

Am I pathetic or what?

Answer 4

My father. He grew up dirt poor. There were a few memorable moments in his life where people helped out and he does a lot to pay it forward. He's my hero and I love him dearly. I can only hope that I touch as many lives as he has touched. He's got a big heart but he's the type that doesn't go bragging about it. He does things quietly.

Answer 5

My mom. She was always said that before you do something, you should think about whether or not it was something you would want your grandma to find out about. Just the other day, I used the stamp machine at walmart and it gave me 2 books of stamps instead of 1. I think .41 cents for stamps is a rip off, but they werent mine to keep. The next day, I went to the post office to send off a package and at the clerks window, I asked to borrow her stapler. She gave me a dirty look as she handed it to me. When my transaction was completed, she asked if I needed anything else. I pulled the book of stamps out of my purse and gave them to her telling her how I inquired them. All she could do was smile and tell me thank you as they would end up refunding whoever the person was before me to use the stamp machine and didnt get their stamps. You wouldnt believe how many whispers I heard coming from the line behind me. The other customers couldnt believe that I was returning the stamps. I kept hearing them say, "I would have just kept them."

Answer 6

ME: I figure the buck stops here.

After making some life mistakes, I figure I have a choice now and I intend to make the right one. I have the chance to make things better and that's what I plan to do.

Thing is: YOU can be the one who teaches your children that same valuable lesson!

Life's too damn short as you well know.

(I didn't know you lost your Mom so early - I am sorry to hear that!)

Answer 7

I would have to say my father. He was not an "educated" man in today's definition, but he was the wisest man I have ever known. At his funeral some men that he worked with told me that they had several "educated" engineers at the company and when there was a problem they could not figure out they would always go to my dad for the solution. He was very soft spoken, but when he did speak it was usually worth listening to.

Answer 8

My biggest influence in a very dysfunctional family was my Maternal Grandmother! She was a very devout no non sense Christian! She definitely taught me compassion and honesty! She was very much an advocate of "paying it forward!" One good deed deserves another* Thank you Grandma*

Answer 9

Good Morning, Lt. Dan!! Sorry to hear you lost your Mom so young. That must have been hard! I would have to say the same thing! My Mom! She's the only person in my life that loves me unconditionally!!

Answer 10

My parents always stressed the importance of "doing the right thing," which was well in-grained in the three of us. The term, "pay it forward" had not yet been coined.