Tag: respect

Bucket Filler Drew

Hey kids, it’s Dad. For today’s Tommylog, I want to talk to you about Drew. I want to focus on him and the awesome award that he won at Lincoln elementary. Drew was selected to be a bucket filler. What is a bucket filler? A bucket filler is someone who takes some of themselves and gives to others. He filled other peoples buckets.

Drew was awarded the bucket filler award for demonstrating respect and responsibility in his classroom and at school. What a high honor!

We need more bucket filler in this world. Can you imagine what it would be like if everyone out others first?

The world needs more Drew’s in it!

TommyLog – The Note! – Part 2

Hey Kids it’s dad and for today’s TommyLog I want to tell you the rest of the story. A few days ago I posted “the note” video and there’s more to be said on the subject. So to catch people up here’s a link to my previous video.

http://tommylog.com/tommylog-the-note/

So after I posted the video I really felt that I need to go introduce myself to the guy and just tell him what I had received. So I did just that. Got myself dressed and put on my “big boy shorts” and I went over and I knocked on the door. My good next-door neighbor friend Oscar answered the door and we talked for a few minutes. Oscar had just had cataract surgery so the discussion was very easy. After a few minutes of us chewing the fat, I asked if this person was there. He said yes and I asked if I could speak to him. I waited outside with “the note.”

I was a little bit nervous and said a prayer in my heart to make sure that this situation would end in a positive manner. After what seemed like a long time but was probably 30 or 40 seconds, the gentleman emerge and came outside. I introduced myself and shook his hand. I showed him the note and read to them what was said. I asked about how things are going and if he had a job. He indeed did and it was a good one. We talked at length about his job and what he did there. It was a nice exchange.

I told him about the two precious things that live next-door and how important they were in my life. I told him don’t make me choose between being neighborly and my kids. Because he will come out on the bad end of the deal every time. I had no malice in my tone nor was I upset. But I was firm and he knew it. I told him I respect him for serving his time and he deserved a second chance to turn his life around. it seemed as if he was doing just that.

We ended the conversation cordially and I went home. I felt satisfied. There are plenty of ways that this could’ve turned out and I know everyone would’ve handled it differently. This is how I chose to handle it.

What would you have done? Would you have even gone over to introduce yourself? The comments on this has been amazing and I appreciate so much the dialogue.

TommyLog – The Note!

Hey Kids it’s dad, and for today’s TommyLog I want to talk to you about a note I received in my mailbox. I’m going to my mailbox and I see bills, bills, bills, catalog, bills, ** folded sheet of paper** bills, bills bills, bills, catalog. I look at my other mail and then I focus on this piece of paper folded in half.

Inside was a handwritten note. It says

“I thought you should know, there’s a convicted child molester living in the neighborhood. It then goes on to give his name and address. It ended- sincerely a concerned citizen”

As a parent how do you handle this? I love my neighbors. I have a great relationship with them. They are so nice to me and I try to be so nice to them. And for some reason, this didn’t alarm me the way I think it would alarm some people.

This person has been labeled. I don’t want to add insult to injury. I want to treat him with the respect he deserves. But I’m not sure how I’m gonna handle this.

What would you do?

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TommyLog – A Beautiful Guy Who Showed Everyone Respect

Hey Kids it’s dad and for today’s TommyLog want to tell you about a wonderful message I received yesterday from a high school friend. This message came to me before I woke up and was right there as I checked my morning email. I just hit the moon when I read these words.

A little backstory is needed. Back in the 60’s and 70’s my father owned a liquor store called CLIFFORD’s liquors. My buddy Bob just became head manager at a liquor store not far away from where my dad had his store. Okay here’s the message.

“Hi Tom- quick story I wanted to share… Had the opportunity to become store manager of Century Wine & Liquor, a job I’ve been in less than a month and absolutely love. The best part is the team I am working with and learning from. One gentleman is a real character- Frank Cesolani… In his late 70’s, he is in every morning by 7:15 and we have already fallen into a groove of having coffee in my office first thing while I check morning email and he tells me stories about his early years in the industry when he did deliveries for a distributor before he worked for Sherwood Deutsch at Century. Yesterday he was rattling through how this or that store owner in the day were real jerks (though his language is more colorful) and then suddenly says “but just up the road from here was Tommy Clifford, now there’s a beautiful guy who showed everyone respect” obviously a family trait… Hope all is going well. …”

“…now there’s a beautiful guy who showed everyone respect.” Thank you Dad for this wonderful example. Just think after 40 years he still remembers. What an amazing legacy! Goes to show you that everyone is watching and you never know who you will touch! Thank you Bob for this message!

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Cleaning the Church as a Family

Hey kids, it’ s Dad and for today’s TommyLog I want to talk about the Clifford family helping clean the meeting house. About once every 4-6 months, members of the LDS church get the opportunity to help clean the church. Since there is no paid cleaning staff, cleaning duties fall on the members. So for about an hour we swept and mopped floors, cleaned the bathrooms and emptied trash. Even Emma an Drew got in the action.

I really love this as it helps build respect for the building as we are one of the people who are responsible for its upkeep. Just think what wold happen if kids had to help clean their schools or rec centers? They would have a more respectful attitude if they knew that spills and messes- they would be in charge of cleaning.