Tom Sawyer may have had the help of friends, but I also received a dinner!

Painting my fence has been a project that needed to be completed before winter. A month ago I  bought paint and new brushes. A week later I spent the weekend power-washing the fence to remove loose paint and dirt. I was proud of my accomplishments to date so I decided to take a three week break before actually painting. Instead I spent time having fun, yet still worrying each weekend that the window of opportunity to paint outdoors would end soon.

Sunday, with my daughter recruited for the project, we painted. While I thought Princess Daisy would paint for ten minutes, declare she was bored, and leave me to play, I was shocked to receive five hours of help from her. That wasn’t the only surprise on Sunday; I also realized I am more clever than Tom Sawyer (or maybe I just have really nice friends).

Tom Sawyer was given the punishment of white-washing Aunt Polly’s fence. While Tom was dreading the project, he was able to convince his friends it was fun and recruit help. Not only did I receive the help of friends, but I also had dinner delivered to me. A day I had dreaded for weeks was actually a day filled with laughter, good conversation, appreciation for friendship, and a great meal.

The unexpected benefits from the day:

  • Princess Daisy and I enjoyed spending interruption-free time talking about a variety of topics. It was a great opportunity to connect with no distractions or interruptions.
  • My daughter feels pride over learning to paint and a sense of accomplishment with what she has done to help improve our home.
  • I was appreciative to have a neighbor show up with Jambalaya he made, knowing I would be too tired to cook. Having a big container of it in my refrigerator for dinner was a blessing when my stomach was grumbling and my back was aching.
  • It was nice to have  friends help us, worried we would not complete it before the temperature dropped. It became even more fun as a result.

I spent a fun day with my daughter, laughed with friends, recognized how blessed for the friendships I have, and felt a sense of accomplishment to complete a big project.

Each time I open my beautiful white picket gate, I will remember the day and the support of others that went into completing the project.

And now that it is finished, I plan to get back to my essential weekend activities–

Fun activities with my kids

Reading a book by the fire

Taking a nap