Someone Watching You

As I was making dinner this evening(Actually it was a couple of minutes ago. The dinner is now in the oven and I should be cleaning up the dinner-prep-mess, but I am writing this instead). To continue, as I was making dinner this evening my husband came into the kitchen and it popped into my head that he would probably ask me "what's wrong?" (he didn't by the way).  I thought this because whenever I am tired my demeanor is very similar to when I am upset about something, probably because they often go hand-in-hand.  But this evening, there was nothing wrong, I'm not even THAT tired, comparably.  Thinking about it a moment I started to wonder what I am portraying to my children, to my spouse, and to others, through the Manner in Which I do something.  So, while I finished making dinner, I pretended that someone was sitting in my kitchen watching me. When I did this I immediately noticed that I stood a little straighter, I was more efficient, and my face probably looked a bit happier.

   How would we live our lives differently if there was always someone watching us?  It can't be the same person each day or we would grow complacent towards them, like we sometimes do with our spouse.  But what if a new person came into your home every single day and just sat and watched how you clean your home, parent your children, cook meals, and spend your free-time? Would your day look different? Of course it would, we want to project the best picture of ourselves that we possibly can.  We recently had some men working on the tile in our kitchen for a couple of days.  I found that on those days I was more patient with the children and an all around better mother because there were strangers in my home who heard how to talked to my kids.

   What we often forget is that while there is not someone sitting at my kitchen table observing how I make dinner, there is always someone watching us. No, not Big Brother, but our children, and our spouses, our guardian angels, and, most importantly, God.  We should tried to remember that and, just maybe, it will help us to, if not be more organized and efficient, to at least be a little more joyful as we go about our tasks.  I want to teach my children how to do something well and with a good spirit, so, like all things in parenting, I need to set that example first.