My dad had carpel tunnel surgery on his hand recently, and the recovery process has been less than ideal.

Not for him; his life has resumed to normalcy. The one not getting along well is my mother, his caretaker, who actually listened to doctor’s orders and is concerned his lack of following recovery protocol is going to land him in a rough spot. We’re fortunate to live close, so I’ve been down to visit and help as much as I can, taking the burden off the recovering hand. 

After an hour of working together, Dad said, “It’s amazing how much more work you can get done when someone opens the gate. When you work alone, you have to stop the truck or tractor in front of the gate. Climb down. Open the gate. Walk back to the truck or tractor. Drive through the gate. Then stop the truck or tractor behind the gate. Climb down. Close the gate. Walk back to the truck or tractor. And finally, get to work.”

He was right, and I was feeling a bit guilty. Every time my husband calls me out of the house, the garden or flowerbeds to simply “open gates” I’ll admit, I get a tick frustrated. If I’m working alongside him on the farm, it certainly doesn’t bother me. 

But to alter my work to do something as simple as opening a gate? What a drag!

When I was younger, I was always quick to call shotgun, but never smart enough to call middle seat in our 1964 Ford with the rusted-out floorboard. That meant I was always at the passenger, opening gates. Oh, what I would’ve given for a younger sibling to do the grunt work. 

Fast forward a few decades and I watch our two children fight over who gets to open the gate. They still want to be the helper, in the action, part of the team. 

With every gate that opens, I seem to think about them more often. The thing about gates is that they control the speed in which you move forward. The thing about gates is that they become a passage to better places. The thing about gates is that they are only as good as the folks who use them — dragged across gravel, climbed with dirty boots, hung as they should be or lifted up so they perform perfectly. 

Opening gates — though such a small gesture, can really move a person forward. 

What gates do you need to open? What gates do you need to open for yourself? What is standing in your way? What seems to be the most insignificant obstacle that needs to move before you can pass through to the next phase of success? Or finally, contentment?

Or even more: What gates do you need to open for someone else? What is standing in their way that you can help with? That person in the back of your mind that needs your help, phone call, attention, understanding. Isn’t it time that you opened their gate?

“It’s amazing how much more work you can get done when someone opens the gate.” 

Something as simple as opening a gate can really move a person forward. But for goodness sake, please don’t drag it. 

Editor’s note: Lindsay Sankey is a freelance writer from Economy, Ind.