I am such an Andy and Barney fan! I always think of my sisters, Diane and Donna, when I watch an episode. And whenever I’m giving out rules, I think of Barney’s two rules here at “the rock!”

When we were young mothers, my sisters and I often discussed discipline. We debated the pros and cons of spanking, time out and other methods of teaching our children right from wrong.
One of us usually ended the long discussion with two words that perfectly summed up what we were trying to accomplish: “Nip it.”

That phrase comes from our favorite television program, “The Andy Griffith Show.” My sisters and I are huge fans of the show, so much that we have DVD’s of all the seasons and coffee mugs from Weaver’s Department Store, the online site where fans of the show can order merchandise.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of TAGS. The show debuted in 1960 and ran for eight seasons, winning six Emmys along the way. It currently accounts for more than half of the viewers on Hulu, an on-line film and TV show site, and reruns on TV-Land are some of its most popular programming.

For those who’ve never seen the program, Andy Taylor is the likeable sheriff serving his small community in Mayberry, North Carolina. He’s also a widow and the father of red-headed Opie. Faithful Aunt Bee takes care of Opie, just as she did Andy when he was a young boy.

Andy’s aided in his official duties by his deputy, the inept Barney Fife, who’s also his cousin and best friend. Other townspeople include Floyd the barber, Gomer and Goober, two not-so-bright cousins who work at Wally’s Filling Station and many others.

Although the characters on TAGS are the ones we hold dear, it’s the stories on the show that continue to resonate with strong messages about life, families and what’s important in life.

I especially love the black-and-white era of the show, and those early episodes could be used for parenting and life classes.

One of the best episodes about life is “Opie and the Bully.” When Andy discovers Opie is asking all the adults in his life for a nickel for milk, Andy realizes something’s not right.

Barney finds out a bully is taking Opie’s money on the way to school, and the deputy wants to straighten things out for Opie, much as our “helicopter parents” do today. But Andy holds his ground and finds a way for Opie to take care of the bully himself.

Lesson learned: Parents, we sometimes have to step back and let our children handle their own lives, no matter how tough it may be to watch them cross that turbulent stream.

In Season 3, Opie keeps talking about Mr. McBeevee, a man he met in the woods who walks in the trees. Because Opie has a wild imagination, nobody believes he sees a man with a silver hat that jingles.

Andy finally has to make a choice to either believe Opie or not. Andy decides he doesn’t believe in Mr. McBeevee, but he does believe in his son.

Lesson learned: Sometimes, we have to take a leap in faith and believe, even when it doesn’t seem possible to accept the unseen and unproven.

That lesson is especially important during this holiday season. Common sense tells us there’s no such thing as a jolly old elf that lives in the North Pole, but we can believe in the spirit of Christmas, especially when we see the generosity of people as they collect food for the hungry, donate gifts, toys and clothing for those in need and open their hearts to people who need a bit of extra love and compassion during the holidays.

And for those times when we feel our spirits sinking and start thinking the world is filled only with grinches and meanies, remember the wise words of Deputy Barney Fife — Nip it. Just nip it in the bud.

This article was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.