Saturday, May 1, 2010

Lilttlest Helper

We were offered some free Giants tickets the other night--front row seats! The only problem for me was that we had wedding invitations to send out a.s.a.p. and I knew even seats above the dugout would not be worth the stress of ignoring a job to be done at home. Bob took his boys and my daughter Grace, while the youngest member of our soon-to-be-blended family, Taryn, stayed with me to give a hand. I often procrastinate when I'm in over my head, so found all kinds of other things to do: a more elaborate dinner, a jog, a shower. Taryn was happy to play with her American Girl doll and to help tear lettuce for the salad. As bedtime approached, she asked me why we hadn't done the invitations, and could she still help out? Having a little girl offer to help humbled and motivated me, and I decided to dive into the task for one hour.

As we stacked and sorted the invites, marking them with the return address and a wedding ring stamp, Taryn and I chatted about how to tackle tedious tasks. This girl is a worker, often offering to help at home. She proudly stated her hobby, "I just like to keep busy, it makes time go by faster." By the end of the hour, we had nearly completed the job and I sent my little helper off to bed. I was energized by her pleasant and giving attitude. Just that extra set of hands, small as they are, was enough to show me that I could pull this wedding together by asking for help from family and friends when I am overwhelmed. Bob and the kids returned a couple of hours later from the game and he carried Taryn, sleeping like a rag-doll, out to the car. I threw a hot-pink fleece blanket over her shoulders, and her eyes barely opened, with a satisfied and knowing look that she made a difference in our house tonight.

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