Reflection

It was many years ago now but I wanted to share this story.

We had been shorthanded because our regular neighbor/helper, hay bucking, youth, was on a family vacation and the hay harvest could not wait for his return. My brother Jim took pity on us and was helping with the hay harvest. He had lots of his own work to do but decided to give us a much needed hand.

Several days into the harvest I noticed Jim was wearing a hole in his jeans. The hole was just above the knee where each bale would rest before it was lifted up to be stacked first in the truck then onto the conveyor and finally to its resting spot in the barn. When I mentioned the hole, Jim seemed unconcerned since we were closing in on the end of the season. He said that the old jeans were no longer worthy of repairing with needle and thread, he would just “tough it out” and make the jeans last.

The next day I noticed his jeans had been washed clean and the hole was getting bigger. Now I could see his skin through the bare spot and he was beginning to get a rash from the abrasive hay bales as they brushed his knee. Again he said that harvest was nearly over and he was not worried.

The third day the jeans were again clean and Jim had stuck a wide strip of duct tape across the hole and surrounding area. He said the hair on his leg would hold the duct tape in place throughout the day and save his skin from the rough hay.

The fourth day started with Jim sporting duct tape on both legs because he was now wearing holes where there were none before. He was bound and determined not to wear out any other pants since we were closing in on the end of the harvest.

The fifth day had Jim looking like the tin man from Wizard Of Oz. His grin was as wide as the strips of silver duct tape, he had each leg covered in the stuff. He felt he had a pretty good invention going on even though he no longer had any hair on his legs. The jeans were more hole than fabric at this point but we were on the final field and expected to finish the season that day. He did find it harder to bend and move because of the layers of thick tape but he said that it got easier as the day went on when the sun and the heat he was generating, warmed the adhesive making it more pliable. He nearly blinded the rest of us that were working along side of him from the reflection off the duct tape.

The season ended successfully without any other pair of pants getting trashed, his legs would take several weeks to recover.

That story sums up my brother.  Always willing to give a hand, never taking himself too seriously, enjoying times even when they are torturous,  generous with his time and amazing talents, quick with a smile, finding joy in service and being present in every sense of the word.