YINW Vacczine

What the Coronavirus Taught the Men in Our House

The men in my house learned they each have a step! What does that mean you ask? I will tell you.

We have lived here almost 16 years and I have done laundry every single day (except Shabbos, Yom Tov, Sandy & Katrina). The clothes are put on the main staircase in order of age. Mitch and myself, then there is the pole, then Gavriel, Becky, and Jeremy. And I use the five steps pretty much in the middle of the staircase.

The kids also have chores that rotate every month and one of the chores is taking up the clothes.

The other day, I had put an item on Jeremy’s step that he requested I buy, and Mitch took it up stairs. Knowing Jeremy was in Virtual Class and Mitch rarely takes things up the stairs, I asked who took the item from Jeremy’s step.

Mitch said, "Jeremy has a step?"

I replied, "We all have a step!"

Mitch then asked, "Where is my step?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You haven't noticed that every day the clothes are on the same steps for each person???" 

(Now, granted, Mitch always worked late and was rarely home when the step ritual was conducted - so I gave him a pass.)

Mitch was still skeptical. "I am going to ask each kid as they come down for our family dinner if they know they have a step."

I confidently replied, "Sure," thinking that of course they each knew.

First one down was Gavriel.

"Do you know that you have a step?" Mitch asked.

Gavriel answered with a question of his own. "I have a step?"

I had to interrupt this madness. "Don't you take up your clothes and Becky's and Jeremy's on your assigned month?" I asked Gavriel. To which he responded, "Yeah, but I never noticed that there was a specific one." Then my husband and son start making jokes about stairs and charging for use – very funny.

Next down and is Jeremy and I'm feeling pretty good, right? He is for sure locked in to the system. Wrong! 

"No clue, never noticed" he said while laughing.

Last one down is Becky and, thank G-d, she knew we each have our own step. She said, "Mommy puts things on it for us and of course I know the location of each step."

I then reminded them: "Did you notice that when Gavriel was away for the year, and Becky was away that their respective step was left blank?" Well surprise surprise no one noticed that either.

So it only took 16 years but everyone now knows they have their own step.

By: Tamara Haviv