Please and Thank You!

Today EVERYONE went to school!  Wahoo!  I went to work... Boohoo!  No, really after not going into the office for months thanks to summer holidays and the boys health issues... it was time.  There was a pile for me to catch up on and believe it or not, I did get it all done!  That felt good!

Being in the work world allows me to see a whole different world.  I see my husband working like a dog, gifted with patience of a saint.  No wonder his patience is running low by the time he gets home... these folks use it all up!  I see certain people walking in and his shoulders slump.  Warning: annoying, can't please them patient ahead.  I see his frustartion as a business man dealing with the government to pay him lots of money owed... yet if we owed them that... ha, you know they would be on us and unrelenting.

I see all sorts of people coming through the door.  Happy people, sad people, lonely people.  That last one made me sad.  There was this 91 year old lady that came in with her family.  Her birthday was yesterday and so she was surrounded by family.  They were leaving today.  She was so sad.  Her husband died some months ago.  She was like in the FBI or something cool in her day.  I just felt my heart ache.  How many lonely people are there out there?  How many seniors never get visits, touches of love or afftection?

Then I watched grown ups with out manners.  Unbelievable!  This lady walked in, did not turn around and hold the door for the lady with a walker just coming in behind her.  I was embarassed for her.  Do people still teach their children manners?  I am quite shocked at the lack the manners of today's kids.  I do care if I am thanked for having "you" over or giving  "you" a ride or whatever.  I do care if you say "please" or "thank you." 

We had some folks over and the kid said to me, "I want milk."  It was a demanding tone and there was no please or thank you.  The parents are folks that are very into their child's achievements.  I think that we, as parents today, need to take the time to teach or model this behavior.

This summer I took a friend's kid with me to the creek as the boys played.  The parents were working so I figured it would be a nice break.  The whole time, this child whined.  This isn't a little kid... but rather in middle school.  He complained and asked when we were going to leave.  I will be truthful... this did not sit well with me.  When I dropped him off at home... he just walked away... no thank you for lunch, the time to hang out... nothing.  Is it wrong of me to be distrubed?

My kids... I can only pray that they use their manners... but it is something that we instill ... I want my boys to say thank you for dinner.  I want them to appreciate the time I took to drive them to wherever ...  It is a simple sentence... "Thank you... " 

Does this bother you?  Sometimes I  feel a little old fashion.  Yet, i believe it matters... I love the reaction of people's faces when the boys go through a door and the boys stay back and hold it.  Josh loves holding the door open even though the door is as heavy as him half the time.


I think its funny when I wait for the boys, like Josh to say the appropriate response and he is lost as to what that response is.  Please, Thank you, Excuse, which one, Mom?


 Manners... they matter, really!