Whose Laundry Can You Fold?

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

Mother Teresa

Last week, on a day when I felt especially anxious, after having listened to way too much cable business news, I decided to do laundry—something practical! When I went down to the laundry room to retrieve my clothes from the dryer, I found them all neatly folded and placed in the basket. What a great gift for a single guy who never folds his laundry.

Just then, along came the cleaning lady who works for my neighbor. She smiled and went about taking my neighbor’s clothes from the dryer. I thanked her for her kindness. She said it was nothing and then went on her way.

This woman’s kind act jolted me out of the pity party I’d been hosting all week. She wasn’t being paid to do my laundry. She could have dumped my clothes on top of the dryer. Her worries, whatever they be, did not prevent her from acting beyond self-interest.

Tough times ask challenging questions of us. The sight of my neatly folded laundry invited me to consider how I’ve allowed these days of economic turmoil to make me self-absorbed.

Without realizing it, the cleaning woman invited me to consider how I’ve been tending to relationships—family, friends, business associates.

Can we still be gracious and generous with friends and family—and even strangers? Offering kind surprises?

Simple things we can do that the distractions of these days might make us neglect include:

• answering e-mails and phone messages in a timely way
• being available to people seeking out our help
• rousing ourselves when we want to isolate
• paying kindness forward

EXERCISE:
As you recommit yourself to the people in your life, consider these questions:

1. On what has my attention been obsessing?
2. In what ways has this taken me away from my relationships—professional and personal?
3. What simple steps can I take to reconnect? Whose “laundry” can I fold?