My father’s workshop was not spic and span.
Other farmers kept theirs swept neat and clean.
But, one thing he did insist upon:
tending the tools.
Every tool had a place
and, unless you were using it,
it lived in that place.
Tools weren’t meant to be put away dirty.
Tools were useful
and worthy of the care they received.
When you treated them with care,
they were always ready and available
to do the work at hand.
Many of us don’t work with hand tools
as our mothers and fathers once did,
but what if we applied the same care
to those with whom we live and work?
What if we applied the same level of attention
to cultivating our emotions and experiences?
What if we maintained our bodies
so they were always ready for what was needed?
Tend your tools.