Thank You, Stephen

“It is noble to teach oneself, but still nobler to teach others — and less trouble.”

Mark Twain

I was standing up to my waist in the bushes, in the dark, outside of our house one night, and under my breath, I thanked my cousin Stephen.

Let me explain. We had just had our house painted. On the last day of the work, the painters asked us to open every window so they could paint the edges. We had to leave all the windows open until they dried.

When we went to close them around 11pm, the last two windows in the kitchen wouldn’t shut. So, I stood in the bushes and pushed from the outside, while my wife, Liz, tried to crank them in from the inside. They still wouldn’t shut. So, I asked Liz to open them again and went to get a flashlight, a hammer, and a screwdriver. And within thirty seconds, I closed both with two taps in the right place.

I thanked Stephen, because when we were kids, he taught me how to fix things. I learned a lot from my dad and my grandfather, too, but I apprenticed with Stephen nearly every day, as we lived across the street from each other. He could take apart and fix anything, and he taught me to do the same. Occasionally, he pounded on me too, but nobody’s perfect!

I’m the one who fixes stuff at our house, and I know how to do it because of him. So, thank you, Stephen, for teaching me.

Is there someone in your life you can thank or teach? You will be a blessing to them and to others if you do.

-Hank

Photo Credit: Janice MacLean

Thank You, Stephen