Saturday morning Bev and I went to a friend’s house to help her move.  We got to her new digs about 9:30 AM where we met her to help unpack the first truck load.  That went pretty quickly.

After lunch we went to a storage shed to empty it, and we picked up a few additional items at her old house.  The second truck load was just as full as the first—front to back.  There were just 5 of us to do the work.  And there were several feet between the truck ramp and the front door of the two-story house.  Lot’s of walking.

We completed unloading the truck at about 4:00 PM.  I discovered that a 61 year old man shouldn’t be unloading U-Hauls.  Every muscle and joint in my body ached.  However, a little Advil when I got home, and the pain went away.  I felt amazingly normal the next day.  But I would do it again in an instant.

Helping a friend move is an activity of community.  It’s a 21^st century version of a barn raising.  Friends swarm to help you accomplish something you can’t really do alone.  I like the laughter, eating, and accomplishment.  It also creates unique bonds to the person being helped.  Muscle aches notwithstanding, helping a friend is the best.