~What Are We Missing?~

One of the things my Mom taught me was that civility really does matter and I still embrace that belief today. In fact, now it seems more important to me than ever. As the editor, Nancy Lindemeyer, of Victoria Magazine stated so eloquently, “Our world is fast paced and our own lives and those of our children need careful tending”. In today’s garden of life that is one area that is overlooked and weeds are commonplace in society. Now it is accepted and amusing for children as well as adults to be rude, gross, and flat out un-ladylike and un-gentlemanly.
 Recently my kids have been enthralled listening to the CD series ‘Samantha’ from the American Girl Collection. I find myself so completely captivated listening along with them. We are taken back to 1904 and the civility that once was customary and expected.
I wouldn’t want to even think about wearing a dress and petticoat that weighed up to 25 pounds but there is a certain charm to seeing little girls in fanciful dresses with frilly aprons.
I also wouldn’t want my children to be seen and not heard as we would miss so much of their sweet chatter and memorable phrases, however I’m sure we all agree that it is a pleasure to be around children with proper behavior and who use their good ‘old fashioned’ manners.
Hours were spent on meals in fancy parlors with exquisite table settings. Certainly they ‘knew how’ to enjoy the experience of close friends and family. What are we missing by living life in the fast lane? How much more richly our lives would be blessed if we took time to ‘linger’…
 In school, children learned character building skills that were as important as arithmetic, geography, and history. Reading books taught more than just reading. They showed how polite, honest girls and boys always ended up better off than rude, dishonest children. They wrote essays and speeches about right and wrong and memorized and recited them in front of the entire school. What an inspiration for all of us to take the time to teach our precious little ones these foundational principles.
Our wish is that we make it a priority to plant the seeds of civility, manners, and graceful living that can be applied to our modern day culture. ~ Lindsey