Being Somebody

At my house growing up, I was somebody. When my mom asked if somebody would bring in firewood, or let the dog out, or fetch the groceries, I knew she was talking to me. As the youngest child, I ended up being the last somebody in the house besides my parents, so I got to be somebody a lot. Eventually it became a joke, and she’d look right at me and say, “could somebody…?” and we’d laugh, and I’d do it, whatever it was.

I’m glad I grew up being somebody. I’m truly thankful that I was expected to participate in the continuous work of maintaining the home. The fact is, somebody really does need to unload the dishwasher, and do the laundry, and cut the grass. Why would I expect somebody else to always do those things for me? I’m somebody, too. I can be part of doing what needs to be done, whatever it is.

I’m still somebody, and you’re somebody, too, and there’s more than housework that needs to be done in this crazy world (although housework is a great place to start). Homes don’t clean themselves, dinners don’t cook themselves, and good things like strong churches and families and communities don’t happen by chance. It takes years of hard work to build them, and then they don’t stay good or strong unless somebody is willing to put in the difficult, continuous, and sometimes thankless work of maintaining them.

The job in front of you today might seem small. The work might feel monotonous. Maybe nobody else wants to do it. Maybe nobody else will appreciate it. The thing that needs to be done might be something that anybody could do—but unless somebody steps in and actually does it, it won’t happen. The good that was built up in the past will start to crumble. The good that could be for the future won’t get off the ground. 

This year, let’s not just sit around pointing fingers at all the somebody-else’s who should step up and do something. There are plenty of people doing that job already. Let’s go ahead and do what needs doing, whatever it is. Somebody needs to. 

It’s good to be somebody.