Happy Family

No, I'm not going to talk about Chinese food today. So many times, in the hustle and bustle of life, I forget to be nice to my family. Don't shake your head at me, you know you're the same way, admit it and move on.

I'll be at work and somebody will get on my last nerve. I handle it as nicely as possible, asserting myself only when I need to. Or I'm dealing with a person that didn't quite agree with an article I wrote. I don't argue with them. I smile as sincerely as I can, look them in the eyes and at the very least say, "That's interesting." That's my code for, "I think you're nuts, but I'm not telling."

Why don't I do this at home? My daughter asks me a question three times in a row and I snap the answer to her. My husband asks me for the umpteenth time where the casserole dish goes. I mean, we've been married for SEVENTEEN years and he's been helping me put the dishes away at least half that long. Pay attention, keep up, really. I point my finger and with no kind tone alert him that it goes under the cabinet to the left of the sink, under the shelf with the Tupperware on it, which by the way he never puts away in the order they should be stacked in anyway. The red Rock N' Serves go together and the blue Rock N' Serves go together. All of them should have their tops securely fastened and they should be stacked with the larger containers on the bottom and the smaller ones on the top. The tops do NOT go half-hazardly into the drawer under the microwave, but no one EVER seems to remember this.

I get it honest though. Anyone who spends an afternoon at my parent's house can't keep from smiling when my mom tries to tell my dad the dishes go in the cabinet. There are more than a dozen cabinets and my dad can never keep them straight.

We were reading the bible for devotions today and I Peter 3:8 stuck out for this very reason. This is the verse our family is memorizing this week. This version is from the translation, The Book, which is quickly becoming my favorite. We don't speak the king's English anymore and as I get older, I relish a translation that doesn't need translating.

"And now this word to all of you: You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds."

Food for thought.