The Drought of 2008

Do you ever wonder what stuff will leave a lasting impact on your kids? I've been thinking about this a lot lately as I am realizing my oldest is at the age to remember most everything into adulthood. She is old enough to make lifelong friends and carry scars around when people mistreat her. I need to be wary of letting them hear things on the news and when I'm being candid with a friend over the phone about problems within the family. Little minds are being shaped here!

I have also been thinking about The Gulf oil spill. It has to be the worst disaster ever, or at least in our lifetime. The vastness of its' impact is hard to comprehend. I wonder if this will make my kids more sensitive to environmental issues, more concerned for animals, or turn them into members of E.L.F. You just never know. A little thing can have a huge impact. I overheard a teacher telling my mom that I'd be a writer when I grew up and it's all I ever wanted to do after that. What are we telling our kids that will impact them as adults? Are we telling them they're beautiful or scolding them for being bratty? Are we telling them they are kind or are we rolling our eyes and being sarcastic to them when they don't listen the first time? Are we helping them become the best they can be or are we stunting their spiritual growth?

We had a drought in 2008 and had to really watch how much water we used. Driving past the local lakes would make you want to cry, seeing docks standing there in clay, dust flying around in the morning instead of dew. We caught every drop of water we could in the shower to water plants with. I used bathwater from the kids to keep my lilies alive. Don't worry, I used a biodegradable soap. It was so bad, we watched how many times we flushed the toilet and only flushed after it was really necessary. I know this sounds gross, but it was the worst drought in state history. At the time, Abby was 5 and Ford was 3 and this has apparently left a huge mark on them because they still can't remember to flush the toilet! Twice a day, I smell something and I find a present in there from one of them. They remember to wash their hands. They remember to wipe well, but they cannot remember to flush. If this one thing so easily molded their behavior, it does make me wonder what else will stick. I hope it's mostly the good stuff.