Mum (Guilt) is the Word

I wanted to be able to post at least once a week, but I didn't really want to just write for writing's sake. So when I post, I'm usually thinking pretty hard on things. One of these subjects as of late has been the whole mother guilt thing. Sometimes this subject is absolutely overwhelming to me. I feel guilt over, well just about everything. I wonder if I pay enough attention to each one as individuals, I wonder if the things I say to them will be taken the wrong way and that's the one thing they remember for life as a destructive moment (when all I was doing was correcting them.) I wonder if I'm feeding them the right food, reading to them enough, encouraging them enough. I wonder if they will constantly compare themselves to each other (which I know they will because I did as a sibling.) I feel guilt over not having enough money to provide the dance lessons, the gymnastics, or being able to afford joining the team. I wonder if they will only remember the moments I was so overwhelmed with everything that I snapped and finally started yelling. I compare myself to other mothers and I hate it. Somedays I wish I could be a man...because Matt doesn't seem to have these feelings running through his mind. I truly think it's a woman thing. I have days that I can say to myself that all these feelings are silly and I know that "this too shall pass" but then there are other days that I start to have this overwhelming feeling of, oh crap, I'm ruining my children's lives...and I only have a few years left with them. I mean have you really thought about what an amazingly short period of time we have them? That's another thing for me...how do you let them go to experience life? I get that as I grow older, I will figure that one out and that ultimately I can never again have full control over their lives and who they are, but I pray to God that he has given me the strength to show them the good ways in life and how to be great people...there are so many bad/rude people out there that they will encounter. So I vent for a moment...I think mum guilt is bogus. Boo to it.

Say What?

Where did the phrase "practicing common courtesy" come from? I have truly been on a kick about this lately as I clean at my job. I'm pretty sure that phrase is not seen or used as often because I find that for most people, courtesy, is NOT common. How sad, and how did we get this way? Was I one of the only people in the world taught to push my chair in when I got up from the table, desk, wherever? Was I the only one who was taught that if you drop something, you pick it up...not leave it for someone to pick/hang up again? It has blown my mind lately how much people, even in a church, expect someone else to clean up after them...the sad thing is that I'm NOT talking about the children. I almost expect it out of them, BUT they are learning, and in some cases, unfortunately so. It's adults! And it makes me sad and angry...
While growing up I was raised in many small churches. We had "janitors" I'm sure, but I don't remember them being there all the time to clean up after us. I remember having to wipe tables down after I used them, pick or SWEEP things up off of the floor, and I got in SO much trouble if I went into a classroom and didn't put things back where they went. So I learned to do all these things. I know how to say "please" and "thank you", although recently I realized that instead of saying "you're welcome" I say "yep" and thought, "Is that rude? OK, I will make a conscious effort to say 'You're welcome!" And so I have. I hold the door for people when they are walking in/out, I pick up trash off of the playground instead of walking over it and hoping someone else will get it. Isn't this what we should all do? Isn't this "common courtesy?" I guess I just take it as natural instinct. I don't get adult behavior any more.
So I plead with people. Help teach your children what common courtesy is...have them ask to be excused from the table, and automatically take their plates over. Do NOT allow them to talk back to ANY adult (as I have experienced much of...and I don't blame the teachers!) These are common manners...common courtesy...that's just not so common any more.