LOVE ONE ANOTHER: PARENTING SKILLS

In recent weeks I have been thinking about that in my line of work I must be careful (I take care of babies), and wondering if I am careful enough. I had broken a glass container, but not near babies. But it did cause me to wonder if I could and should up my carefulness.

I start to wonder if I'm more careful, as careful or less careful than others. I guess there is a wide range of carefulness​ in people. Also, people range in carefulness throughout their daily activities, taking more care where more care is called for. But this IS a character quality of people, and something that CAN be worked on.

A childhood memory comes to me from time to time. I don't have as many memories from childhood as some (tho' I had a good childhood), so the memories I have, I cherish. One memory is from when I was 10 to 12 years old and carrying a nice glass bowl filled with salad from the kitchen to the dining room and dropping the bowl.
I started to cry, expecting Mom and/or Dad to fuss at me.
Well, they did not at all. They were saying it is ok, it was an accident, etc.
Well, from my perspective now of 50 years later, I finally realize that Mom and Dad could have done more, they could have done both -calmed me down, nurtured me, AND corrected me saying "yes, Joan, you CAN be more careful."
See, that memory unfortunately went into my full memory as representative of my parents' love for me and ALSO saying we are all not perfect and a little carelessness is ok.
Well, an acquaintance recently asked me to reimburse them for something of theirs I had broken. (I had been intending to offer to reimburse, but had gotten busy and let time pass.)
They informed me that I really should reimburse. Actually, I was not at all upset by their speaking up about this.(I valued that that one was requiring me to do right.) I was a little embarrassed that I had not repaid them by then.

I took from this episode the lesson that love can include telling others when they need to do better. I already knew this, as we all do perhaps, but to be reminded that it's important and often but easy- that is good.