Taking time for etiquette

I want to take a moment to reflect on why this is so important to me...and why we should make time to brush up on these things.

It's so fun to talk about place settings and thank you cards, but the real reason I did this was because I thought it was important in our society today (as I've said before). So often we find that there are things said behind our backs, things that go unnoticed by others that should have been recognized, etc. I happen to have wonderful friends and family and though I always make mistakes, I am surrounded by good examples. I wanted to create an etiquette blog that practiced what it preached; in other words, that the posts were not belittling to, or critical of others. I was having a difficult time finding those sites, even in the most "traditional" places.

The point I want to make (and I do have one) is that we all need this. If you die never knowing how to set a table, who cares...but if you leave this life having regrets about how you treated others...I believe those memories will stay with us. Now I am not advocating making yourself a moving target for those who are unkind to shoot at; I'm talking about those people who are in our lives, not necessarily around them.

The great thing is that we can all start somewhere. If you're polished on your social etiquette, learn about world etiquette. If you're a fabulous conversationalist, brush up on how to deal with difficult situations.

I love, love, love to hear from you...please keep the emails coming, or add your "two cents" and ask if you want me to write about something you don't see here. I'm completely open to all kinds of feedback, because I know that I don't to it all correctly, which is the root cause of this blog. You can give me feedback on my blog by clicking "Add your two cents" and either sign your name, blogger id, or anonymous and I did the last hoping that people would feel more comfortable expressing personal situations. As I've stated before, I won't ever post your emails on my blog out of respect to my readers; but if you would like your question answered, or a topic discussed, leave the comment or question on my blog and I'm more than happy to oblige.

Lastly, (this is a little long isn't it) I want to thank you all for your support and kindness during this process/journey. I have met (via computer) some of the kindest people that walk this earth! I love what I do and I hope you do too. Janine