Monday, December 23, 2013

Singing in line...

   I love music, and as my kids can well attest to, I am always making up music at home, in the car or, to their chagrin, while standing in a shopping line.  Humming a ditty or making up words to music I hear helps me stay calm I tell them. It's better than knitting in line which I have threatened to do because one of my favorite knitting bloggers does that. It's better than saying nasty things about the wait time. So I hum while rocking back and forth holding my purchases. 
  This time of year trying to help spread a little extra patience and joy can make wipe you out. Honestly I don't have enough of my own to part with most days, but somehow just when you lease expect to have it, God zaps you with a little leftover patience to share; like sharing a giggle with the lady in line ahead of you over a child doing something funny in the next aisle.
  I love the old Coke commercials where they use the song, "I'd like to teach the world to sing."
  I wish every time I left the house, driving in my car, I would remember that song. I think it would help me calm down, be more patient and spread more joy to those around me.
  Alas, still being the sinner I am, I don't always remember to do that.
   But for today, driving in heavy "slit your wrist" traffic, I will endeavor to help teach the world to sing, one stoplight at a time!
Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

2014: Year of the Good Manners


So ends another year and a new thought for next year. Manners.

Is it really so hard to say “please” and “thank you”? 

I was taught you always use manners, and I taught my kids that as well.  There are a lot of people missing the boat.

So this year’s New Year’s Resolution is this:  Look for good manners being used and reward them.

Case in point:

I was at the Post Office, six days before Christmas to mail an small package. A woman ahead of me in line was carrying two of those really large specialty store bags, the ones with the actual handles on them full of presents.  I overheard her tell the lady behind her she did bother packaging any of them because it seemed whenever she got to the post office they always told her a different shipping box to put them in. So she was saving herself the trouble boxing them ahead of time.

She got up to the counter, after we all stood in a very long line for fifteen minutes and told the clerk she needed her presents boxed and which shipping method should she choose.  He very patiently told her he could not do that for her, the line was really long today, since it was just before Christmas, and she needed to box them in whatever shipping box she wanted. The boxes were just behind our line. And he proceeded to wait on the next person.

She didn’t argue, but sighed and began looking for boxes to use. Lo and behold, another woman and her daughter who were at the very end of our line began helping her pack her presents into shipping box.

Now that, friends is not only good manners, but generosity, love and helpfulness. They didn’t know each other, but this young woman was very gracious and instead of just waiting in line decided to do something helpful to another person.

Good manners, yup, that’s my theme for 2014.

Thank you!