My Handy Man

I love it that some of you are still asking questions! It makes blogging so much easier for me. If your question hasn't been answered yet, stay tuned... : )

Judi asked this about Papa:

How did you train him to be so helpful and team-oriented? Carmen is quite the opposite. I think I missed my window of opportunity to whip him into shape. Although he didn't go and die on me....he finds all kinds of ways to get out of work.......

Papa HAS found a foolproof way to get out of work, but I don't recommend it! ; ) Actually, I can't take the slightest bit of credit for his hard work and team spirit. He was raised with a strong work ethic and helpful attitude. While he was growing up, his father and some friends taught him a lot about using tools and fixing things - something that just seemed to come naturally to him. Even when we first met, he spent hours each week good-naturedly mowing his family's huge yard. That training certainly paid off when we moved to Daffodil Hill!

When we bought our first tiny house in 1977, we both had to learn a lot about home improvement. That house was a real "fixer-upper" and we were poor as church mice. Big dreams and poverty-level income can only peacefully coexist when one is willing to work long and hard. When we left it, though, that little cottage had been transformed on a shoestring. Over the years, we improved every house we owned, then sold most of them at a profit. "Sweat equity" enabled us to build our home on Daffodil Hill for FAR less than its worth.

Mostly, though, Papa had a true servant's heart that made him the special man he was. Not only did he maintain and constantly improve our own home and vehicles, but he also helped out just about anyone else who needed his free and always available services. My parents, all of our children, friends and neighbors, our church, and others frequently called upon him to fix this or that. It never occurred to him that there was anything unusual about it. In fact, he usually just saw what needed to be done, then did it without being asked or making a big deal of it.

Not only was he good with repairs and maintenance. Papa also liked to cook. Several mornings each week he made Betty Crocker blueberry muffins for me before he went to the office so that my breakfast would be ready when I got out of bed. Instead of making them with water as the directions indicated, however, he made them with milk so they would taste better. He always went the extra mile! He was the official pancake maker around here, too, because he liked them just so. I never told him that I could make them the same way because he WANTED to make them. : ) He enjoyed grilling, and would often try new recipes. Due to my health issues, he bathed the dogs, scrubbed the bathtub, and mopped the floors. This man lived and breathed sacrificial love!

By now it probably sounds like Papa was perfect and I was a lazy bum. Not so! He WAS pretty close to perfect, but not quite. While he did the heavier chores, we did many things together. We enjoyed working side by side, often talking quietly as we worked. With very different personalities and gifts, we complemented one another in many ways. We made a wonderful team!

While I wish I had a magic formula for you, I don't think this is something a wife can train a husband to do. Either he is wired that way or he isn't, but every man has his own strengths and weaknesses. If your husband isn't exactly Handy Dan, perhaps he is willing to shell out big bucks for someone else to do the work. Whatever his nature, respect your man and appreciate him for who he is. Trust me! When he is gone you will realize just how special he was and how many things you took for granted without ever knowing it. Give him all the love you can while you can, and accept the things you can't change. He's worth it! : )