Helpers

This is going to shock you, but I like things done a certain way. A few years ago, on one of my parent's visits I walked into the living room and caught my dad wiping off the keys of my piano with a Windex wipe. I was about to say something like "Holy Cow! What are you doing? You are using Windex on my antique piano?!?!

My mom happened to be standing behind me. She must have seen my shoulders raise as I took the deep breath I would need for my rant because she whispered to me "Let it go. He's helping you."

"I know, but...windex..."

"I know, but you've got to learn you to take all the help you can get, no matter how weird."

Funny enough, this was a good life lesson for me. Ever since when someone tries to help me I think of my dad and that windex wipe. I remember how, surprisingly, using a windex wipe on the piano had no adverse effects. In fact, even though it isn't how I would have done it, it got the grime off!

The week everyone wants to help me with the laundry. I mean they really want to help. We started laundry yesterday and we've had a ton of fun helping load the washer, move the wash along to the dryer, unload the dryer and, perhaps best of all, fold! The folding is where my windex story comes in. I like things folded a certain way. I know how fold things, so that they fit in the drawers. I like things to be really neat and not have wrinkles.

When your helpers are 4 and 7, very few things get done "right" and wrinkles are a given. Usually I say no one can help me, but this time I let them. They matched socks, they folded they stacked, some of it looked pretty gnarly, but the whole experience has been really fun. They even got down the socks-without-mates basket and went searching through their drawers for more socks to match and fold.

Laundry is a big deal around here. We're always doing it, so it must be important. I forgot the pride you can feel in yourself when you learn to do something and you know it really matters. Brynn (who has been my resident sock folder for a while) got to teach Grace how to match and fold the socks. It was pretty neat to watch the little sister teach the big sister something. Talk about feeling good about yourself!

I love the days when I'm smart enough to remember that life is not really about getting stuff done, its more about loving, being loved and finding joy --while getting stuff done. I love it when I remember that, usually I'm in too much of a hurry.