Greet…Each Other Well

The other day I came home from working all day, as millions of others in our world do. But I came home to my home….Think about that for a minute. Everyone person goes home to their home….no one elses. There in “your” home, you have family, loved ones, people you are glad to be around, and people who you like to be around, people who are glad to see you…I can’t wait to be greeted!

I pull up to my house, opened the garage door with my automatic door opener, and before my car wheels roll to a stop, my dog is running out to greet me…running around the car, jumping up to see my face….she is ready to tell me that she missed me soooo much….after petting her, and getting passed her enthusiasm, I enter the house, with full arms, ready to be greeted by my family….what do I see running towards me…my cat! He is meowing, he is rubbing on me, the dog is eagerly interrupts, competing for my attention. I stammer past my animals, no one else is in the house….

Oh, there is my husband, with his hands in the sink, washing the dishes and baking cookies….he turns warmly and says, “Hi Sweety”, obviously I don’t want him walking with drippy hands, so I greet him equally with a peck on the cheek. I don’t see anyone else….”where are the kids?” Neither child (I have two) noticed I walked through the door. Both watching their version of electronic entertainment, they are interrupted by a stern, “Come say ‘Hi’ to your mother”…

I am hurt, I need to do some reflecting on what I am teaching my children. I begin researching animal’s greetings….What I learned, is nearly every animal that has a “family unit” has a specific, understood greeting of loved ones when they re-unite to the family unit. Dogs lick each other’s faces, in submissive body language, wagging tails and yipping sounds. Cats touch noses gently. Bees dance around and learn what the incomming bee has learned about their environment. A most amazing comparison is that of chimpanzees, who greet each other by hugs, shaking hands, even kissing each other’s hands.

As a society, we teach our children, as they begin to understand their world, that they need to be cautious of strangers. But within a family unit, we need to teach children to show true appreciation of each family member. That when a loved one goes out of the house into the world, that upon their return, the utmost appreciation of their return must be displayed. I need to teach my children better, because in life, there is always a chance that the loved one may not come back, at all.

photo credit: Bryce Reid via photopin cc
photo credit: leamaimone via photopin cc