Someone's watching....

From the time we come into the world we learn by watching others.  Yes, we put in hours of formal education in a classroom, but think about some of the things you learned by observation.

You learned something about relationships from your family of origin.  You learned how to walk, run, and pass the baton in a relay by observing someone do it. Washing a car, baking a cake, mowing a lawn, shooting hoops or drawing a stick figure were things all learned primarily by observation.

Having just celebrated Mother's Day, it's been interesting to think about what I learned from my mom who died when I was 17.  When I was about 13, her physical mobility began to decrease from the crippling impact of Rheumatoid Arthritis.  So many of the homemaking skills I routinely use were learned before my adolescence. I realize how many things she taught simply through demonstrating them in everyday situations. As I got older she encouraged me to have hands on involvement.  Even after she had to give up some activities for health reasons, I continued to learn about life from her.

This gives me the desire to look for opportunities to learn more through observation.   And I want to be more aware of what I teach through my actions.

Photo:  istockphoto.com (Monique Rodriguez)