Large Item Pick-Up

Every year, our church’s youth group sponsors a rummage sale. The weekend before the rummage sale is what’s known as Large Item Pick Up. That’s this weekend.

As far as events go, it’s not too complicated. People who want to donate furniture for the sale let the person in charge know, then teams of parents and kids go pick it up, load it into rented trucks, and haul it back to the church. Next weekend, all the stuff goes on sale and is hauled off by the buyers.

Since my son was in eighth grade, he’s always helped pick up stuff. It’s never been his favorite activity, and that’s putting it mildly. He’s got good reasons. It’s a yucky job. People donate file cabinets wedged in closets, fold-out couches stuck in basements, and exercise bikes stored in dusty garages. Office furniture, washing machines, and ugly easy chairs are all fair game for the pick up crew.

You can imagine the sore arms, legs, and backs and, well, grime that accompanies all the hauling around.

This year, my son announced that he had had enough of Large Item Pick-Up and that he didn’t want to do it anymore. His excuses were many. He already was working-if he carried furniture all Sunday, he’d really have no weekend. He's picked up furniture four years in a row-certainly the new eighth grade kids could pick up the slack.

Finally, there was the obvious. He’s a senior. He deserves a few perks. My husband and I didn’t blame him, but we were giving in, either. Which, of course, resulted in a lot of grumbling.

Then last weekend the inevitable happened. Take ten high school seniors. A sleepover, a bunch of cans and my son with a pocket knife at 3 am. Yep, he managed to come home last Saturday morning with a badly bandaged hand and a sheepish expression. The rest of the day involved four hours at the emergency room, one big tetanus shot and nine stitches in his palm.

That evening, his hand was swollen and hurting. My son was really bummed-the stitches had to stay in for ten days. But then, all the sudden, he began to perk up. He'd just realized that there was a very nice, bright silver lining! Being stupid and careless meant no lifting of furniture. No carrying around old treadmills. No spending Sunday in a UHaul. Nine stitches meant Large Item Pick Up Day would go on without him! My husband could hardly believe it.

I’m not really sure what this says, other than spring fever and senioritis have hit our family. However, I couldn't help but be amused when my husband left this morning with a scowl-while my son did his best to hide a very happy grin.

Until he heard that everyone not moving furniture today had to do laundry.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend and that it’s been more relaxing than ours.

Shelley