My son has been instrumental to helping me out with renovations on a rather grand scale this year. All I can say is I'm glad he owed me some money, otherwise I fear I could not have afforded him.
He set his "customer rate" pretty low on his latest home maintenance/renovation project. He scaled down the hours he charged, he didn't include the time he spent picking up materials nor the time it took for him to return the excess, he didn't tack on mileage or even gas costs. For that alone, he earns merit points for which I cannot place a price.
Then there are the many things he does which go above and beyond the call of duty. The garage is cleaner and so much less cluttered than he found it; he culled through and got rid of some excess; he organized what has accumulated throughout the renovations; his attention to detail before, during and after the projects he has taken on have been second to none; he listens to my rambling thoughts and sifts out what is needed to make the decisions required to move forward and through whatever he has offered to take on; he has sacrificed weekends, holidays and time away from his own home and relationship to help me out and he remembers the little things I say.
I mentioned I hate mowing the front lawn because of the sagging branches of the fir tree in our front yard. I feel like I have creepy crawlies all over me after dodging and ducking under the low lying branches. I say these things and half forget I've said them. Until I find my son outside with a ladder underneath the tree, cutting off a half ton's truck bed worth of branches to create some walking room and tidy up underneath the tree.
Before (a close up)
After (a full tree view which does not do justice to the height of the lowest branches)
He does like to be nourished during his work day so for the most part, all I am required to do is to cook a few meals, run the odd errand and clean up the path of work debris along the way.
In return, I will find a pot of coffee he has made or find him sitting on the deck listening to the bird couple who started nesting in our attic arguing about whose great idea it was to move into a house renovation project in process.
Not only do I appreciate the scope of work my son has taken on and the details he foresees and/or runs into along the way (then overcomes them) and his expertise in knowing what to say or ask about when I'm talking to others involved in this house project ... but I enjoy my son's company, his sense of humor and his overall work ethic.
It's all in the little details. Whether it is a home renovation project, a work situation, relationship or simply the way one chooses to live a life. It is the small stuff that makes the biggest difference.
No comments:
Post a Comment