13 Jun Shared responsibilities

Summers at Westview Boys’ Home are a time when there is plenty of work to be done and plenty of fun to be found. Our young men find that sharing responsibilities for getting necessary work done—like mowing the yard—results in getting to the fun faster.

There are many acres requiring upkeep on the ranch. Everyone who lives on the ranch has a responsibility to care for the lawn and landscaping around their home. Those who’ve applied for the Summer Work Program have the opportunity to earn money this summer by working to care for the rest of the ranch, whether repairing fences, painting corrals, or driving a tractor. Tasks that are new eventually become tasks that are done with greater skill and ease. Our young men learn the wisdom of working in the cool of the day to fulfill their responsibilities. This sets them up to enjoy the cool of the evening (we’ll talk more about that in another post).

Sometimes our work teaches us the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. Sometimes our work teaches us that we’d rather get a good education so that we don’t have to do certain kinds of work. In any case, work always teaches us something.

Whatever our responsibility, whether young or old, we hope to do our jobs well and hold up our end of the work. Learning how to work as a part of a team is an important part of life on the ranch.