Table Setting

Isn’t this lovely? I asked my oldest and my youngest to set the table for dinner. Not exactly the way I would have done it nor is it the way I have taught them. But they did it and they did it together, with out complaining or fighting. That in itself is a wonder to behold. I am finding that sometimes I ask for one thing and I get something totally different and its in what I get that I need to look for what was good.

Of course I couldn’t let my mother-n-law show up to a table looking like that….Youwza…she would think I had a brain tumor or something. So of course I fixed it and did it the proper way. Well, as proper as it gets in this house anyway. My oldest son did notice when he sat down, “HEY, what happened to the glasses I put out?” “Well, Cuzzy (that’s what we call him….Cuzzy)those were tumblers so unless we were all going to have a gin and tonic…..I thought we might need to put out the milk glasses”.

A good friend told me once, and this is really not new or profound but it’s good advice; and I need to remind myself of it almost daily,….”Pick your battles.” she said. At the time I was getting married and it pertained to wedding planning. But that holds true for any and every relationship….especially I am finding as my kids get older. I have to ask myself what is really important in this situation. That my table look like Martha Stewarts or like a 13(boy) and 7(girl) year old set it with out complaint and worked together. There is an awesome piece of advice in the Bible, God tells us not to exasperate our kids, not to push them over the edge….to expect too much. (I know I’ve read it, but I can’t locate it! So if you know what verse I’m talking about hey feel free to share the location.) Let them be kids, let them learn from doing things over. There is a fine line in that, but I need to walk it as a parent. And just so you know, most days I fall off that line…..and I have to ask for forgiveness.