October 21 – Old Ideas, Dirty Dishes
“When we stop arguing with life, life stops arguing with us.” — The Little Red Book, p. 102
For years I lived by what I thought was a fair deal — if I cook, you do the dishes. Sounded reasonable, right? I loved the principle of fairness… mostly because I got to define it.
So there I was, on my day off, sitting in my grand idea of balance while my wife came home from a ten-hour shift. I wasn’t trying to be a jerk — I just had an old idea calling the shots. Somewhere in my head, I thought fairness mattered more than kindness.
Then it hit me: nobody said I couldn’t cook and do the dishes. Lightning wouldn’t strike, and the Recovery Police wouldn’t kick in the door. Turns out, I was more attached to being “right” than being useful.
Now, when that old voice says, “That’s not my job,” I just grab the sponge and get quiet. The peace I get from letting go always beats the satisfaction of being fair.
When was the last time you gave a little more than you thought you should — just because you could?
