I had the opportunity through an Alumni Invitation to attend the EPCC Summer 2024 Retreat. The location was in Auburn, California at the Mercy Center. It was exciting to see old friends and make new friends.

A child will react to a good humored request faster than an order, a calm voice rather than an excited or frustrated one. Modeling working together as a family helps a child to feel part of a whole and more willing to participate.

When I think about civility, I see it as the glue that maintains the unity of our society in much the same way that mortar binds the bricks of a building. It is a vital part of our civilization in its constant evolution.

David Brooks begins this book by looking at the virtues our culture values – outward values such as ambition, creativity, status. He calls those resume values.

In this month’s Dear Olive Branch, we determine that “Civility is treating others with kindness and respect.” By simplifying the definition, it becomes easier to strategize around a complex topic.

So, we come to the difference between aggressive behavior and bullying. Aggression can be attributed to normal development of language, social and self-regulation skills. All bullying behavior is aggression but not all aggression is bullying.