I ate lunch at a popular sandwich shop this week and love to
people watch. Yes, I’m one of
those. Reading people’s body language,
demeanor – it fascinates me. So I was
watching these two ladies, obviously good friends chatting away over
lunch. When they were done, they both
got up. One of them took her plastic
tray and trash and disposed of it while the other just left hers on the table.
From my window view, I watched the lady who didn’t clean up
her “stuff” slide into her black BMW and drive off. I sat and stared at the tray and trash,
seeing a few other dirty tables around me, but knowing it was noon hour and the
workers never caught many breaks as the line was consistent. Eventually one of them would make the rounds,
wipe tables and clean up this ladies trash.
My take on this was one that I’ve been emphasizing to my
daughter lately – it’s the little things in life. Like routine of making her
bead, opening her window blinds come morning right down to brushing teeth and
hair. Some mornings I feel like a nag –
so we had a chat that if she can’t do the little routine things with joy and
without being constantly told – eventually on a job, she won’t do the little
necessary things either. Sometimes life
is routine and those things just need to be done. It’s those small things that grow into life
lessons and reflect work ethic as well.
I’ve seen this in many settings before, some people are the “cleaners”
and some just leave a mess behind them.
Some have said messy people are more creative. I like to think I have a creative side, and
yes, I have messes in places in my life – but I also love order and
cleanliness.
It takes effort to do the little things in life. Often people that do them go unnoticed or
appreciated. The role of parents can be
this way. In trying not to raise
entitled children – we ask them to learn to do those little things, growing to
larger things, that teach responsibility and grow to maturity. Sometimes it works – sometimes it doesn’t. But we try.
So as I put away the trash….I’m grateful for parents that taught
me the little things matter in life.
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