Sunday, March 19, 2017

Kindness and a Mentor

"The final test of a gentleman is his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him."
~ William Lyon Phelps

Years ago when I first practiced law at a large firm, my boss was an amazing attorney.  He was bright, driven and hard working.  Tall, with a military bearing and a deep voice, he could be intimidating.  But he also had a ready smile and was always incredibly kind to me.  I learned many things from him, ranging from how to write legal documents to how to think about my career.  He has always been a devoted family man and there were many lessons on that front, too.  Over the years, I got to know his family and I am still friendly with one of his daughters.  Fast forward a couple of decades since we worked together.  I ran into him at a lecture recently.  I went up and greeted him, and mentioned that I was with my son.  "Let me go say hi to him," he said and he walked across the auditorium to meet my son.  I was truly touched.  It reminded me of how many lessons I have learned from this gentleman and how I still admire him.

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