YOU MIGHT AS WELL LOVE IT

We visit Arlena’s Mom on a regular basis, every two weeks or less. We do some housework, make sure her meds are taken care of, take her to lunch and do some grocery shopping. Depending on how she feels, there is a trip to the mall that is included, especially is she’s seen an ad for some kind of sale. Even at ninety-five one never has enough clothes or shoes or purses.

The last time we were with her, I stayed around to wait for the people who were coming in from Columbus to install a new rain-protection, gutter-guard system while mother and daughter went shopping. On the way to their various destinations, one of which was to Kroger’s, Arlena’s Mom said, “I really love grocery shopping.” Arlena was somewhat taken aback.

“Really, Mom?” she asked. Her Mom replied: “Well, you have to go grocery shopping so you might as well love it.” Really? Love taking out the garbage, scrubbing the floors, mowing the lawn and all those other chores that go with owning a home? Love going to work? Love going to school? Love cleaning your room or doing homework? No matter how old or how young there are always demands on us that we would rather not fulfill but have to and, at the same time, we should love doing?

Well, yes. If we look upon them as simply drudge work, we will hardly ever do them well or certainly not as well as we could or should. If our heart is not into what we are doing, we are likely to make a mess of it. Half-heated attempts are better not begun than begun at all. We all know that from first-hand experience. Yet we still go through life half-heartedly doing what needs our full attention if not love.

What would happen if we actually looked forward to doing those things that we think as drudgery, whatever they may be? What if we would put heart and soul into it? Whistle while we work, as the old song has it? Whenever what we are doing becomes something we look forward to, even as mundane as scrubbing the floor, it makes what we are doing so much easier and we’ll even do a better job.

It’s all a mindset, of course. Scrubbing floors will never be on par with relaxing on the beach. Nor should it. My wife has a Honey-Do List for me on the counter most every day. I get pleasure out of crossing of each chore as it is completed. I am even getting to the point of looking forward to see what she has next in mind for me to do. I have not yet gotten to the place where I can say that I love doing what is on the list.

That will take time. I suspect it took Arlena’s Mom quite a while before she came to love grocery shopping but she is there and that’s what matters. Changing our mindset, changing the way we look at life, does take time. Imagine what our life would be if we learned to love everything we do! Yes, imagine!