on manners

 on our trip to new england last weekend, we stopped in ny to visit with j's cousin and his sweet family.


these kids are the cutest.

jake & pig

while we were catching up, liz jumped on a teachable moment with jake when the issue of manners came up.

"jake, what are manners?"

"manners are when you're nice to other people."

sweet elsa

puppets!

i couldn't sum it up better myself, and this tiny episode stuck with me.  manners are crucial to life.  respect, care, consideration, love: in my mind, all of these are key to becoming a well rounded person.

i know we all slip, and for those to whom manners are important, we try to regain our footing and try again.  and again.  b/c we're human.  we're not perfect.  but we have more chances.

however, this doesn't mean that we don't all need reminding.  personally, i have two sisters who rarely miss an opportunity to tell me when i'm off base: being rude, judgemental, jealous, etc.  for that and many other reasons, i am immensely grateful to have been one of three.  but i know that not everyone is so lucky, and truth be told, i know we're not always open to hearing about our own failings. 

so here are a few gentle reminders i've gathered...take them for what they're worth, and at the end of the day, remember jake's analysis and just be nice.  we will be a happier planet for it.

the basics

'please' & 'thank you' are never out of place

respect: your elders, your family, your neighbors, yourself

learn to disagree graciously

you are not always right.  be open to suggestion

actions speak volumes: be mindful of what exactly you are 'saying' 

a smile never hurts a situation   

we can all use a reminder (:  happy weekend, friends!