Whistle While We Work

Written Permission Pending

Some arrive to the point in life where things go fairly smoothly. Job situations are decent or appropriately challenging; our kids are busy with their lives; the doctor gives us good health numbers. Smoooooth, like generously buttered bread. 

Then quick as a wink, life can change. Walking the dog, we slip on marble-like acorns; or, rushing into Walmart, a breaking misstep occurs; or, we dare to skate at a middle-schooler’s dream ice skating birthday party… splat and crunch… a break of the hip and/or wrist. 

We take our bodies for granted, and a cast on an arm or leg emphasizes the marvelous that we overlook. Vacuuming appears to require one hand, but a wrist break helps us realize otherwise. Then, the aha moment occurs. Two (or more) bodies are better than one. Hiring a maid or cooperatively sharing chores seems as brilliant as the discovery of the light bulb. Even if we are full-bodied healthy, the number of people who dirty a house ideally should be close to the number of family members who cooperatively clean it. “Carry one another’s burdens” (The Bible, Galatians 6:2). 

The fall occurred in our home,
the next month, not on this ice

Cancer and chemo a decade ago failed to compel me to split house chores, but when dominant “Righty” broke 11 months ago, push came to shove. This bull-headed non-delegator... let the dust-bunnies fly 'til I can vacuum, because only I will do it right... finally learned. It is actually shocking!! sharing chores can bring us closer, and house cleaning is twice as fast. But one critical rule is a must: Refrain from nagging and nit-picking.

Disclaimer: We did experience a comical cleaning mini-crisis. Who would guess that a mechanical malfunction and our inquiring visit to the central vac store would provide valuable and embarrassing insight: Push the plug in properly, and the vacuum will run. Lesson learned. Yanking apart the brush head was overkill, with no need to purchase a pricey new one. 

Like a boomerang's flight, that returns after it is skillfully thrown, it's a circular exercise. I realize how wonderful Huggy is when I permit him to freely demonstrate his cleaning wonders: i love you.