The Only Yardstick That Matters

If my sweet dad ever grew weary of me sticking to him like glue when I was a little kid, he certainly never let it show. Not only did he let me follow him around, he never once got upset with me for being right up in the middle of whatever project he happened to be working on at the time. I enjoyed every minute I spent tagging along with Daddy as he worked, but I really, really, really loved it when his project of the day called for the use of the mystical, magical, majestic chalk line. I remember it like it was yesterday ... Daddy would get this extra-special twinkle in his eye as he looked at me and said, "Alright, Sam, go ahead and make us a good line." Seriously, I remember it like it was yesterday ... the sound of the old line snapping ... the sparkling blue of the chalk ... the pride in Daddy's voice when he said, "Now that there's one fine line ... that there's a line you can measure by, Sam ... that there's a line that's straight and true ... that there's one fine line, Sam."

A few days ago, I posted the photo below on my Facebook page ...

... and a good friend of mine left the following comment on that post ...

"It's the only yardstick that matters."

I haven't been able to get my friend's words out of my brain since the moment I read them, and I know why ... his words won't leave my mind because they are so very profound and so very true.

If we were to get gut honest with each other, my guess is that I'm not the only one who worries about measuring up to the standards or expectations of others. Let's just be real with each other and admit it ... here, I'll say it first ... I spend a boatload of time worrying about how other people feel about me or how they see me or what kind of yardstick they're using to determine if I'm worthy to have a place in their lives. And I spend even more time worrying that no matter which yardstick they choose to use ... intelligence or wealth or beauty or power or social status or job title ... I'll never be able to measure up. Now go back and read that list of yardsticks again ... sad, isn't it? So very sad that the yardsticks so many of us use to measure one another really have nothing at all to do with who we are on the inside. So many of the yardsticks we use have absolutely nothing to do with who we are as people ... nothing to do with the goodness, or evilness as the case may be, of our hearts ... nothing to do with respect or compassion or kindness or mercy or patience or grace or love. So many of the yardsticks we use don't even begin to come anywhere close to measuring what is most important ... the way we treat one another.
"It's the only yardstick that matters."

He's right, you know ... my friend is right ... how we treat one another really is the only yardstick that matters ... it really and truly is.