Day 264, September 21

I mentioned in an earlier post about an article I'd read recently about gardening. It impressed me so much that I returned to it and re-read it. As so often happens, I picked up something new in the second reading.

"In order to create something beautiful, you have to get your hands dirty." The author's counsel reminds me that we rarely get the results we want in any endeavor if we aren't willing to work at it, to get our hands dirty.

Parents know that being a mother or father takes hard work. We get up in the middle of the night to soothe a fussy baby, to change a diaper, to nurse him. Years later, we stay up late, waiting for that child, now a teenager, to come home from a date. In between, we have ample opportunities to get our hands dirty. We clean up spilled milk, wash towels where small hands have wiped themselves before washing, and wipe smudged fingerprints from mirrors and windows.

I'm guessing that whatever work you do, you, too, have gotten your hands dirty. The contractor who is building our addition frequently has dried concrete on his fingers, under his nails. Am I offended by this? No. It reminds me that he is creating something beautiful. Likewise, the mechanic who works on our cars has oil and grease staining his hands. Even writers can get their hands dirty. I started writing in the dinosaur days of typewriters. Those of you old enough to have changed a typerwriter ribbon know just how messy the process is.

So, for today, I am grateful for those who get their hands dirty while creating something beautiful.