“Do ye the little things in life.”

I love this day in the year!  It is the Feast Day of  St. David,  patron Saint of Wales.  Wonderful, wonderful stories abound about St. David.  He was known for his austere monastic lifestyle where he and his monks would hook themselves up to plows instead of using oxen and plough the fields themselves.  They ate no meat, nor ale, but appeared to have endless energy for hard labor and for prayer.

However, the main thing St. David was noted for was for his loving kindness, for his gentle words, for his respect for others, the way he observed others and did small things to help build up life in Christ for others.

I often think of St. David. Homemaking, after all, is a labor of small things.  Sometimes it is a labor of small things done time and time again.  And yet, it is all in how we do it that shows our family our love for them.  It is in the way we answer a question for the fiftieth time.    It is in the care we show our families in how we nurture our home.

Today is a wonderful day to celebrate with your children: eat leek soup, do a craft with daffodils, (here is a post I wrote about painting I did  last year with our children:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2012/03/01/first-grade-wet-on-wet-painting-for-saint-davids-day/), and celebrate stories of kindness and gentleness.  Here is a story about St. David to share in your homeschools today!  http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=steedman&book=island&story=david

But most importantly, use the inspiration of St. David to think about the way you communicate with your children and your spouse.  Is it with gentleness, with love, with respect and kindness?  Who shows YOU respect, gentleness and kindness?  I have met mothers who seem to feel they don’t deserve respect or kindness from their children.  You do!

Love others, and love yourself in the small things,

Carrie