Girl's Gone Child: light work

When I was little my mom used to tell us, "many hands make light work," which, of course, meant, many hands make LESS work. As in, if we all pitch in, there will be less to do. I did not know that is what she meant until she said it to my kids a few years ago and I realized that she meant "less" and not ACTUAL light. I assumed "many hands make light work" was in reference to light itself. As in illumination. As in, if we come together we can make everything glow.

I was embarrassed by my misunderstanding at first. Like that time I thought "quitting cold turkey" was actually cold turkey as a thing people eat to help quit smoking.

But then I realized that LIGHT and light are the same thing. That many hands make less work but also LIGHT work. That by coming together, everything is illuminated. All that perspective, man. It helps.

I struggle with this in a major way. I want to do it all on my own or do nothing at all. When I feel overwhelmed, I close the door instead of picking up the phone. I fake it. Or write about it here in vague terms. (Kind of like I did this week). But I also picked up the phone. I called in favors. I asked for help. Which probably doesn't sound like much but it was for me. And then I felt amazing because everyone was so kind. And helpful. And oh so THIS is how this works. Like that game Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board and how it feels like magic because how is it possible for fingers to lift someone wayyyy up high? Well? It is. Many hands can do that.