I have taken over a lot of yard work that my husband used to do. In some cases, they are tasks we would tackle together, things like trimming bushes and the spring cleaning out of weeds. Some of this I have passed on to our lawn guy, but I kept part of it because it gives me a chance to be outside and enjoy the spring/summer weather. Recently my husband suggested that it might be time to tackle the bushes out back. I usually do only 1 at a time rather than try to do them all at once. A couple of days ago we decided it was time for the forsythia.

The bush was about 8 feet high and 6 feet wide; it needed to be about half that big. I gathered my tools and started working. The next thing I know, my husband is there to help. He doesn’t have the  balance needed to trim the bush, but he can cut up branches to go in the yard waste bin. We brought a chair over for him, then I cut branches and passed them off so he could make them small enough to fit in the bin. It reminded me of past years when the roles were reversed, he would be the trimmer and I was the clean up crew. It was nice to have the company, the help and the job went much faster.

He is not going to be able to help me all the time nor would I want him to. There are times when I go outside to take a break, so I need the silence. On the bigger jobs, where he can participate safely, it is good to share the load. I know it’s difficult for him to let me take the lead, but we are figuring it out. He helps with chores and it is good for both of us to get the fresh air. It’s a winning situation for everyone.