C.S. Lewis said, “Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else is looking.”

The hardest time to make the right choice is when no one is watching; when we momentarily are tempted to “get away” with something for our own gain.

I was standing in line at the outlet stores and my six-year old daughter was suddenly tapping the women in front of us. “Excuse me,” she went on to say, “you dropped this.” The older woman, who appeared to have worked hard for her money, looked down to see a crisp fifty dollar bill in my daughter’s hand. It looked as if the money was saved for such a moment as this, when she would buy something special – perhaps a gift. Maybe it was for a loved one’s birthday or a celebratory present for an achievement earned. We will never know. I did not see the large sum of money fall from this woman’s purse, nor did I see my daughter pick up the bill from the ground behind their backs.
I did tell my daughter how proud I was of her and the difficult choice she made to return a large bill to its owner. She nodded and said with great confidence, “I could have bought a really big toy with that money.” I smiled in agreement. Fifty dollars is a large amount of money for a six-year old! She already knows that, as she has been learning the value of money in first grade. When we walked out of the store a few minutes later, the older woman surprised us. She said she wanted to reward my daughter with five dollars. She handed my little girl the money and her eyes lit up with joy. Of course, I began to tear up (don’t judge me).

We are not usually rewarded in tangible ways for doing the right thing, even when someone catches us taking the high road. However, the reward of inner peace and a clear conscience cannot be bought at the end of a life well-lived. Let a six-year old and an elderly woman remind you to not only do the right thing when no one else is looking, but to also take time to notice someone else around you who has been courageous to do the same. Both of these ladies are people of integrity we can learn from. Let’s never tire in doing what is right.