It'll be Alright.

I’ve been pondering lately about my life and the things I do.  Today I was in the kitchen here at the base at YWAM San Francisco, and I was thinking about the things I do.  Not so much the things I’m passionate, but the hobbies or activities I find myself drawn to and find easy to be a part of.  I’m realizing increasingly that the things I find myself alright with doing or enjoying are things I saw my mom doing growing up.  I have a natural aptitude towards a clean living space, and am not usually bothered by the idea of cleaning.  Dishes can be a pain, but other than that, I find it natural to just pick up after myself and others.  I love to cook, really love anything dealing with food preparation or culture, and growing up our mom cooked or prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner ever day, minus the occasional fast food or eating out.

 In fact, I was thinking today, in light of a conversation with one of the ladies working here at the base, of how older women will sometimes glorify young men who have an ability to cook, clean, and do things around the house saying, “You’re gonna be a keeper, that’s for sure!”  And it really struck me.  I jokingly said something how it’s going to be hard for me to find something for my wife to do, because I’ll be doing it all, and I realized it’s kind of true!  It’s teaching me something that I’m just now processing, but I think really to a large degree, we are, or have an aptitude towards, what we see and what we see people around us doing.  Now, as I realize, actually doing something is the true strong reinforcement.  It’s almost plain obviousness when someone who’s good at something refers that they grew up doing it.  But I think seeing has a strong power too.  In the same way, I’m not necessarily good or better at the things I saw my mom doing, and others doing, ans I grew up, but it comes easily to me, and I think that’s important.  

It is a thought for me to ponder in light of the future, if I may have a family.  I want to realize and actualize things along the way to intentionally prepare myself for good paths in raising children.  Many of the things men would do are foreign to me; I grew up in a generation, I’m now realizing, where the emphasis of the Father being a part of everything just wasn’t there.  These are things I’m processing in my life.  What we see when we’re young shapes who we are as we age.