I is for Integrity.
Integrity is defined as, "The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness."
My grandfather embraced integrity.
He was always honest. He was honest, but never hurtful. I knew I could always trust what he said, and know that it always came from a point of wisdom and love.
He had strong moral principles. He was knighted in the Catholic church, but his own upbringing instilled more morals and ethics than the church ever did. He understood the value of family, and of hard work. He always aimed to help others - and he did! More times than I could even venture a guess, he helped others. His morality was an innate one, not one of blind faith. Never once did I see him say or do anything that could be questionable or immoral. He was simply a good man with a great heart.
Moral uprightness? You had better believe it! An upstanding citizen, a good, generous man. His priorities were always straight. He was a pillar of the community and a role model for all. In my eulogy, I called him a hero. I did so because he was. Whether running into a burning building to save the family pet or teaching me the values of hard work and dedication, he was always a hero.
Integrity and heroism are very tightly related for me. I simply cannot see how you can have one without the other. Integrity is very important to me because my Grandfather was the embodiment of it. I do my best daily to be a woman of true integrity. If I can help others by being and doing the way he did, I know I will have done well as a person.
I is for integrity.
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