Aretha Franklin demanded it. Rodney Dangerfield never could get it. Parents, well, we wish we had it. Respect is a hard thing to secure on all fronts. We often receive it in one area of our lives but never another. Sometimes we have it at work but not from our partners. Other times we have a lot of it at home and very little of it elsewhere. It can be difficult to achieve mainly because the definition of it changes so often.

For many men, buried deep beneath the joys and day-to-day responsibilities of being a parent is the fear of losing their family’s respect. No one wants to feel disappointment and resentment emanating from a child or spouse, or to feel ignored or dismissed by one’s own family. So it’s important to remember what it requires. Respect, much like trust, needs to be earned and can be difficult to win back once it’s been lost. But it’s worth fighting for — and essential to give, especially to our loved ones.