The nicest guy I know

I tell my students at school not to begin their writing with a rhetorical question. 

Mostly, this is because the questions they ask to "grab the reader's attention" are vague and not very creative. 

But here's to breaking my own rule:

Have you ever met someone that was just nice?

I often find myself completely irritated and flustered when I come across people who seem to lack the basic niceties of life. Take for instance the lady who swooped in to steal my parking space at Target though there was only one of her and me plus kids. Like, come on, now. 

In an effort to not focus on these things and truly adopt a more positive outlook from the inside out, I've been consciously looking for encounters with my fellow man that reflect the good in people. 

Steve's always looking for ways to make life easier for those around him. He shovels the sidewalks in the winter and clears the ice from parking spots so no one slips. He likes to go on errands as a family so we can all be together. He remembers to do things like change the batteries in the remotes so I won't get frustrated when they stop working. He makes me a hot beverage every day for work to take the chill out of the commute. 

The more I started focusing on these things, the more realistic and healthy my expectations of him became. Interestingly enough, the same began to apply for others around me. The pressure of my negative reactions to others' nosy comments or idiosyncrasies is starting to dissipate. 

We had a spectacular day at my parents on Friday. The weather was beautiful and the kids spent much of the day being chased around outside by my parents. We love when they're so happy and carefree. We purchased two new carseats that are narrower and for the next weight class. This meant that with some creative adjusting, we were able to fit all three kids in our Camry! It was a fun ride up to their house.

While my parents napped upstairs with the kids, Steve and I passed out downstairs. There may or may not be a huge drool stain on their couch pillow. I'll never tell. 

Also, found THIS very cool blog. 

Loved this excerpt from the Carefree Timelessness blog:

"What is it for you?  Is it not letting your kids mow the lawn because the lines need to be perfect?  Is it not letting them do the dishes because you want them scrubbed right before they go in the dishwasher?  Is it not letting the children help clean the house because it is just easier to do it yourself?  Is it not helping your child through a tough homework question because it is easier to just give them the answer?  It also could be disguised in a different way.  Do we not ask our children's opinion on things because they are "too young?"  Do we involve the children in family decisions so they learn how to weigh out circumstances?  Do we let them make their own choices or do we make them for them so they will not mess up?  Anyway, some questions to think about..."