A Bit Worn and Weary

Monday afternoon, I joined several men from our church to help another of our church members load her belongings onto a rental truck. She was making the trek to her new home near Atlanta, Georgia. Her husband was transferred there by his company. They’d purchased the home several years ago causing them to have a long distance marriage. Business interests, health issues, and the selling of the two homes they owned locally kept the wife on the road travelling. Now that those matters were settled, she was free to finally make the transition. She could join her husband, many cats, and her black Lab Jake.

She’d already taken several truckloads to her new home, with several more boxed and waiting to be moved. Much of her possessions were hand-me-downs filled with memories and because she is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, there was a fair amount of memorabilia. Even though she was a transplanted person from Michigan, she became an avid Steelers fan, going to training camps and collecting clothing, photographs, and autographs from many of the gridiron heroes.

But back to the loading; many of the boxes were on the first floor of her home. The basement was under the first floor and a stairway with nearly a dozen steps was between the front door and the driveway below. It was always a relief when I carried a light box. The boxes were standard moving boxes. I had to tread carefully, peering around the carton as I descended. Now that I am older, I don’t bounce anymore and am more likely to break.

After four and a half hours, the truck was almost full. A few items waited to be loaded on Tuesday morning before she began her journey southward. We men were in constant motion, lifting, carrying, and packing the boxes into the cargo area. I normally live a more sedate life than this and Monday evening, every joint and muscle in my body was complaining, “What were you thinking? You’re not 25 any longer.”

Tuesday morning muscles were feeling less sore, but my joints were still complaining. I decided to try and teach them who was boss. I cleaned both of my bathrooms, washed and dried a load of laundry, and hauled in a wheelbarrow load of firewood. My joints are still protesting as we enter a new year.

Have a happy and prosperous New Year.