Acceptable Risks

It was a two-man delivery for the new fridge freezer. We were advised of the arrival time by text and phone call. When they came, they were super-friendly. They collected the old one from the garage where we had dragged it earlier in the morning. They unloaded the new one, also into the garage, and waved a friendly farewell.

“Sorry, can’t come inside. Covid.”

Hmm. There we were, three of us, trying to manhandle an extra tall fridge freezer into the kitchen. We got it as far as the back door, but when we recognised we needed to tip it, which would require holding the full weight of it, Mhairi and I demurred.

We called the farmer. Great to have neighbours who help each other.

Don went to change the doors to a left-hand opening. A special screwdriver was required and despite his boxes of the things, he didn’t have that one. So off to a hardware store to buy one.

New fridge-freezer is now installed and humming away behind me.

I wonder, in these days of lock-down, whether some businesses are claiming Covid to streamline their own work. Had we vacated the kitchen, there would have been no chance of Covid floating around while they wheeled it in.

Had I been on my own, how would I have managed? Two neighbours would have been required.

It is good to be careful and to stay safe. Sometimes, it might also be good to take slight risks, in order to help others. I don’t want to be so scared of the virus that I leave people struggling on their own.

May God give us all wisdom to recognise acceptable risks for the sake of others, and take them.