I sometimes wonder why Robbi keeps me around. I take up space. I eat the food. I rile up the children when it’s time to put them to bed. And yet I lack real skills. I cannot change the oil or fix the leaky faucet. I cannot cobble.

Logic suggests she’d be better off without me.

But from time to time, I find a way to make myself useful, and I’m reminded why she tolerates my presence. Just now, for example, she asked me to hold up this blanket to block out the sun.

We are preparing a presentation that we’ll be giving this weekend in Massachusetts (more on that to come). One of the slides we’ll be showing is an array of all our books. Robbi needed to photograph the books. The sun was creating glare. Robbi could not block out the sun AND take the photo at the same time. And so my purpose was revealed. I can hold up a blanket. Yes, I can.

I just have to hope that tomorrow presents another such opportunity. And the tomorrow after that. It’s a tenuous position, relying on the universe to create occasions for usefulness.