Fruits of my labors...

I made some blackberry jam this morning. It was the first time I'd ever attempted to can while the kids were awake, so I was nervous. But it turned out fine. My favorite part of canning is after they are all proccessed, and they start to seal. I love that little "pop" sound it makes. It tells me that I followed all the steps perfectly, everything went to plan and the jam will stay good for a while. It always puts me in such a good mood to clean and do things around the house while hearing little "pops". Wouldn't it be great if life was like canning? How awesome would it be if we heard little "pops" when we did something right. It would surely take a lot of guesswork away from my life. As a mom, I am always second guessing myself. Am I teaching my children? Is this the right punishment? Am I spending enough quality time with my children? Is my family happy? Am I striving to improve myself? Am being the kind of friend I'd like to have? Sometimes I wish there was a clear line about all of these things. Life seems a bit simpler that way, but I guess we all have to learn to draw the lines for ourselves. Maybe I'll start by drawing one between philosophy and blackberries.