Working Together

Two people are better than one.
    They get more done by working together.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 ICB

We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. Marcus Aurelius

My oldest son has a house only a ten minute drive from mine. Because we both live on our own, house and yard tasks can sometimes feel like a lot. Consequently, we spend a few hours most Saturdays working together at each other’s property.  Frequently, the tasks are simple, tedious tasks that take a lot of time for one person to do alone. Yet other times, the tasks require particular skill sets; this works out well for us as we each have different experiences and strengths.

For instance, you can see work accomplished, on two recent mornings. Weeds in my son’s back yard had gotten the upper hand, and the back porch had become a magnet for unnecessary stuff and disorganization. There was also work to be done on the water lines and putting up a trellis or two. After one hot morning and one perfect cool morning, we had transformed a significant part of those areas that needed attention.  Neither the weeding nor the general clean up was very fun, but much better than one person trying to do it all.

Other days, we have more upbeat chores to do and that’s rewarding because we can share the joy! Whether planting flowers or vegetables together or the satisfaction of reorganizing a room.  Sometimes, in slower seasons of fall or winter, we simply take a walk together with my pup after tackling some smaller indoor task. There are even a few days where we take the day off and go do something interesting, such as visiting a museum or going to explore somewhere new.   No matter what is on the agenda for any given day, we usually finish the time together by going out for breakfast or lunch.

Have you ever helped a family member or friend complete a task?  There is something inherently rewarding about helping each other in life. The Amish do barn raisings as a group project culminating in a group potluck social. Ranchers often work together when branding in the spring.  Even elephants help each other as the pack generally looks out after all the babies sharing communal care and interaction.

So, look around you and see where you might be able to share work with another, whether family member or neighbor. Work together, then celebrate the satisfaction of completing a job well done!