Saturday, May 29, 2010

Suzi: Dishwasher Relationships

A few years ago I heard the director of a homeless shelter speak. 
Someone wanted to donate a dishwasher to the shelter, and she refused it. The people who came to stay at the shelter washed the dishes in the evenings, and she found that it created not only a sense of accomplishment and contribution, but it also formed a deep camaraderie as the residents worked together. Did it take more time washing the dishes by hand? Yes…and that was exactly the point. The benefits of the time spent together far outweighed the potential time savings of the machine.
Sometimes, we work hard to find “dishwasher” solutions. Who has oodles of time to spend on anything when there's a better process? But as we look for the quick way out, we can miss a depth that will only come from spending time with someone…lots of time.
Today, I'm setting my lists and planner aside; pass me a towel…let’s wash some dishes together.

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