Michael and I were making the bed together the other morning. I realized and spoke the realization aloud: “I bet we can count on one hand the number of times we’ve done this in 27 years of marriage.” He agreed.
It’s not that we don’t make our bed everyday. (We do–sometimes it’s probably still warm from night sleep when that happens.) It’s not that we can’t stand to do the job together. If you must know, however, for the last number of years, I have been the one to make the bed in the morning. It just works out that way in our morning getting-up schedule. However, if I recall correctly, there was a time when that was flip-flopped and Michael made the bed in the morning. And, for as long as I can remember, if it is clean sheet day, Michael has made the bed. I can’t tell you the last time I was the one to change the bedsheets. (I am blessed–he is much better at that than I am; a better tucker-in and puller-tight of the bedclothes. If he’d been in the military, I’m sure they could have bounced a coin on his bed or whatever it is they do to test the skillfully made bed of the soldier.)
There are some jobs that we have always done together in our marriage. Before we had aluminum storm windows, we had big, heavy (much better at keeping the cold out) wooden ones. Every spring and again every fall, we teamed up for the window washing ritual and either took down or put up those windows. And, no matter what other arrangements we’ve had for washing dishes throughout our marriage, we have done the Sunday dinner dishes together (I wash, he dries). (I think I am telling the truth about that; there may have been a short season when Gabe and Ellen had that assignment…not sure.) This past week, anyone going by our house on Thursday? Wednesday? would have laughed to see us cleaning out the gutters–but, we did it together, and it made a yucky job into a bearable one.
So, Dear Reader, if you care to say, what job(s) do you regularly do in tandem with a spouse or roommate or some other person? What are the joys/frustrations of doing so? Or, as an alternative question of the day, what job could you never do with someone else–or, put another way, what one would you always prefer to do alone if given the choice?
After the party yesterday, Jon and I were talking about what a good team we are. He likes the decorating and creating the videos, etc., while I do the cooking. But, he also makes the bed almost every morning and puts on the clean sheets. We share the yard work (he’s allergic to grass), and he helps clean the house. He always puts gas in the cars. I prefer to fill the dishwasher, because I can get more into it. I think we both have good men!
Nancy–Amen!
Awww…this was a sweet post. And I think you’re right. With the exception of perhaps some Mother’s Days, I think you and Dad have always done Sunday dinner dishes.
I mind doing dishes a lot less with Scott, but any time I’m organizing and ridding out, I prefer to do it on my own. I like company, but not help (remember “will you hold the trash bag” days?).