Saturday, July 25, 2009

It's a chore

Chore Pronunciation: \ˈchr\
1plural : the regular or daily light work of a household or farm2: a routine task or job3: a difficult or disagreeable task chore>
synonyms see task

When we were first married and the girls were still young, we spent most holidays sleeping (no, NOT all day!) in my brother Chuck and his wife Lynn's basement guestroom in Washington. I don't remember thinking about it much, but chipping in with the labor was important to me. I'm not royalty after all!

One of my favorite ways to lend a hand, was rising early and heading upstairs to empty the dishwasher. One less thing my hosts had to tend to. Did it make our visit any easier? I doubt it. They did have a set of twins, after all.

And I guess this is why I don't understand when people don't do chores or try their best to help out. I believe it's one of those things we do automatically--part of our humanity. That basic understanding that you too know what it takes to run a home--there's no magic, it's not easier for some than others, but it is easier when you pitch in together and oft times a slap in the face when you don't.
So here I am, having nearly completed my 51st year on this planet, still learning and still amazed when I see the ease with which my sisters, sister-in-law and mother, walk into a kitchen and with seeming intuition begin to blend into the process of the task at hand without needing to ask what needs to be done. And I think it's usually during those moments that I yearn to share a back fence with all of them. To always be hip to hip helping out in the kitchen.

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