During high school I attended a religious class, called seminary, at 6:40 a.m. each weekday morning. On my way to the church building I would swing by and attempt to pick up a friend who occasionally struggled to get out of bed. On this particular morning the bed won and his mother let me know he would not be attending. Once I got word, I made a quick u-turn to put me back on the main road. As I started to make the u-turn I quickly realized that this was going to be a tight turn. The street was narrow and many cars were parked on each side of the road. Having seen my parents make such turns without incident I decided to proceed…hit a car…freak out…and drive away…quickly.
In my frantic getaway away I considered two choices: I could drive to seminary and act like nothing happened or I could drive home and tell my dad. I nervously decided on the latter.
I drove home, went into my Dad’s office, and told him of my hit and run. He calmly listened and suggested we return to the site of the crime to assess the damage to the other vehicle. On our way, my Dad asked if I knew the meaning of integrity. I responded that I “kind of” did but couldn’t describe it. He proceeded to highlight that my action to confess my mistake without anyone knowing and doing it of my own free will was integrity. We left a note on the car and since it was an older vehicle and the damage fairly minimal they never contacted us.
This experience was, and still is, like honey to my soul. It tasted sweet and filled me with joy. Imagine if I had given into the temptation to ignore the incident. I would still think upon it today with tremendous regret and shame. Additionally, this is one of the fondest memories I have with and of my Dad. Short term it may have been easier to ignore and hide but long term it would have eaten me up.
I write this to encourage all of us to own up to our mistakes (no matter how small or big they may be), quickly make amends, and allow others the opportunity to show their love, patience, etc. It may not always go as smoothly as the above story but I promise that such action will provide a peaceful conscience, increased respect from others, and stronger relationships with those you may have offended.
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