Strangers Notice Our Behavior

Today little Kaitlyn spent the afternoon with grandma. About mid-afternoon I decided to take her to the grocery store with me. Kaitlyn was being very good while I shopped and we conversed back and forth. The store was very crowded as this is it's grand opening week. When I reached the check out, the line was going rather slowly. Kaitlyn decided to help me unload the groceries onto the counter and was generally very obedient in what I asked of her. At one point she was pushing a little on the shopping cart and I asked her "to please not do that' as she could have bump the cart into someone. She was cooperative. As I was bagging my groceries, a lady came up to me and asked if Kaitlyn was my granddaughter. I said, "yes". She told me she had been watching me with Kaitlyn and was impressed with how I talked to her....I called her Honey, Sweetie....used please when asking her to do something...etc. She said it was nice to see that kind of pleasant relationship between us and the results of Kaitlyn's obedience because of it. This woman said she too was a grandmother and had a hard time with the idea of having her grandchildren around or taking them places. She said that she thought she needed to talk to her husband about having their grandchildren around more so that they can also have that kind of influence on them. Needless to say, I was pleased that I came across in a positive way to this woman. But even more so, it made my day to hear she wanted to try and be a more involved grandmother.
We are often told that we never know who is watching us and the influence for either good or bad we can be. I came home feeling blessed that I have wonderful kids and grandchildren and that we show mutual respect for each other in the way we interact and talk to each other. This grandma had a good day.