Words of wisdom to pass along <3

I received the best advice from a wise woman yesterday. 

While it came through a specific situation, I think it is applicable to so many future events for me and, possibly, for you. So I am going to pass it along for you to tuck in your tool box. 

Hopefully we will both have it come to mind when it is most warranted. 

It happened as I sat next to Caroline while she worked on her homework after school yesterday. Earlier I had filled my thermos with water but didn’t have the lid tightly screwed on. As I went to sip, I spilled some water on me and the table, barely missing her math paper. 

I dried up the water, tightened my lid better and she resumed her work. 

Shortly after this we were joined at the table by a neighbor friend. She decided to sit on the other side of Caroline and do some sketching while Caroline did her homework and I caught up on some emails. 

At one point, I reached for my water and somehow managed to tip the whole thing over. This time Caroline’s school folder with all her papers, was baptized in the flow. 

I jumped up and began sopping up the excess with paper towel. We pulled the dampened papers out and found that just the top few were going to need a good drying out. After I got the table wiped off I took the papers upstairs and dried them with a hairdryer. 

Upon my return I showed Caroline the slightly wrinkled pages and promised to write a note to her teacher about how I had caused the damage. Then I checked the folds of the folder to make sure all was dry between the edges and said again how sorry I was to have spilled again. 

I explained to the neighbor that this was my second spill of the day. 

She looked up from her work, blinked a couple of times and said, “Maybe you should put your thermos over there on the counter and then you could get up and get a drink when you need it. That way you won’t be able to knock it over.”

So wise. 

Oh, by the way. 

She’s five years old, this neighbor. 

She went back to her artwork, Caroline nodded and went back to her homework and I began my note of apology and repentance to the teacher. 

After I moved my thermos to the counter of course.

Because wisdom, when imparted to us, should be applied. 

How often do I have a repeat of a mistake that could have been avoided if I had simply removed the proverbial tippy thermos from right in front of my moving hands? 

My guess is that my wise friend and the nod from Caroline were because they had gleaned this lesson from their mothers at some point in life after spilling their own drinks on something. 

Wisdom should always be passed along and so you are welcome for this helpful tidbit in your future as well. 

If you keep knocking over your water bottle, maybe it’s time to move it to the counter and get on with your work  <3