Day 21 - Honesty Is The Best Policy

Yesterday I took the kids to McDonald's for lunch. We rarely go to McDonald's, our youngest is the only one in the family who likes the food. The rest of us find it repulsive and avoid it at all costs. But, Maeghan really wanted to go for her good grades, so we went.

I ordered 4 milkshakes for us, the only edible thing on the menu. I also ordered some more food, had a coupon and paid in cash. I thought the order process was going pretty smooth, for McDonald's that is. We found a table and started eating. I started thinking about the cost and realized that it seemed too low, so I did something I should always do and looked at the receipt. Sure enough I was only charged for 3 milkshakes. I casually mentioned this having every intention of just throwing the receipt away and never thinking about it again. My daughter Hannah spoke up and said "do you want me to go pay for it?" Wow, I was in a pickle at that point. I say no they forgot, I am teaching her that it is all right to take what isn't hers. Obviously I said yes and gave her some cash and the receipt and told her to offer to pay for it. We got the response I was expecting, we did not have to pay. It was their fault and policy that once that happens, McDonald's takes responsibility.

We learned a lesson though, or at least I did. Actually, I learned a couple lessons. First, these kids really do watch everything we do, they watch it and they make note of it. If I would have said no, my daughter would have seen me as dishonest and a thief. Second, I learned that it really does feel good to do the right thing, no matter how small it seems. The manager came to our table and told us how nice it was to have honest customers and how much she appreciated knowing that their were still honest people out there. My kids heard that and will remember it.

I have to come clean though, I have always been one of those people that lets something like a missed charge at a restaurant go. I know most of us do it. I would never take wrong change, or let a missed article of clothing go at a store. I have always thought of missed charges at restaurants as being different for some reason. It is not different at all, it is all the same. It is stealing and I have "stolen" my own share of forgotten milkshakes over the years never really thinking it was stealing. I won't do that again. My 12 year old daughter taught me a lesson that only a child who truly knows the difference between right and wrong can teach, and she didn't even realize she had done it. So thank you Hannah for making me a better person, I needed that.