The Simple Things (15/365)

I take a lot of things for granted.  Not intentionally, but life goes on and I don't always think about how fortunate I truly am.  Recently I wrote about my friend who took a trip that started out as a vacation and turned into a mission trip of sorts (see A Friend's Inspiration).  I haven't forgotten about that and I've tried every day to see the simple things and be grateful, instead of overlooking them.

Today, as I was having dinner with 2 of my most favorite girlfriends and their kids (7 kids between the 3 of us - they all get along and play so well together) I was complaining about having to stock enough wood in the house for the next three days in anticipation of 6+ inches of snow we're supposed to get tomorrow.  I was describing how I have to take the wheelbarrow out the basement slider, all the way across the backyard to the woodpile, fill it up, bring it back into the house, stack it, and go back for more.  It takes about 4 wheelbarrows full to get us through 3 very frigid days.

We stock the wood inside for two reasons: the first being that our woodstove is inside the house.  The second reason is because it's really hard to maneuver the wheelbarrow in a blizzard, and the wood piles get stacked up with snow.  So, to make life a little easier, we try to stock up inside before a good storm.

Well, I'm sure you read in my profile that I'm happily married... so why isn't my husband doing all of this work? 

There are many answers to that question.  The first is that I'm not a princess... I like to be treated like a princess, but I know I'm not. This is the real world and I have to pitch in too!  My husband goes out all of the fall season (when he's not hunting, or working) and cuts, splits and stacks all of the wood needed to heat the house for the entire winter.

The second reason is that my husband is not here to do it.  I am, in essence, a married-single mother.  My husband works Monday through Friday, long and late hours... and not by choice.  We are fortunate that he has a good job that allows him to do this.  It's the only way we've found to make it on one income.  We've been doing this for almost four years.

Since I've been laid off, going on 2 and a half years, I've stayed at home with the girls.  I am diligently looking for work.  But I used to work 50+ hours a week and do all that I do now.  It's amazing how life turns on a dime.  I had a great routine and everything was working out.  Since I've been at home, I wonder how I ever did it!  And when I think about going back to work, I wonder how I will ever do it again!

I thought about when I was complaining earlier about having to bring wood in for the weekend.  I felt really badly about doing it. Not only does having a woodstove save us from having to fill our propane tank once every 4-6 weeks throughout the winter, but it heats better too.

I remember those fall days when my husband gets back from cutting and splitting all day, and then he has to stack it all.  He thinks about how big and heavy the pieces are, making sure that I can lift them and get them into the stove. He thinks about the ease of loading and unloading each wheelbarrow.  As the girls and I go out to help him stack what we can, we try to make it fun.  It's not really fun though. My husband works all week long, is only home 2 days a week, and has to spend at least one of those 2 days cutting wood for the winter.

These are the things I didn't think about when I was complaining. 

I also wasn't thinking about all of the people that don't have any heat in winter. They can't afford their heating bills, or they haven't a warm home to go to.  As I'm sitting here in a comfortable 78 degree wood heated home, writing this in a tanktop and capri workout pants, I am thankful.

I'm thankful for my husband who works so hard - on and off the corporate clock.  I'm thankful that he is giving and kind and does what he can for his family. He tries to do things economically and efficiently. He doesn't want to work all the time, but he does it because he loves us.

I'm thankful that I have a warm home to come to each day. I'm thankful my daughters aren't cold at night.  I think it's kinda funny when we have guests and they always get hot in our house!

I'm also thankful for each and every wheelbarrow full of wood that I get to haul into the house tomorrow morning before the storm hits.  It was cut, split and stacked with love and good intent.

I won't complain about that...