It's not the towels

He shows up at my workplace with either his mom or dad every Tuesday and Thursday to fold towels. White towels only. He tried doing both white and blue, but they're folded different, and the white ones have a stripe down the middle. It was too much. So he folds one bag of white towels. Then he usually just walks out the door.

He's been doing this for several years now. The volunteer towel folder. When he first started it would often freak me out. Now, I look forward to it.

I won't use his name, but he is autistic. Barely speaks. Is given to vocal outbursts, running and jumping enthusiastically, and will sometimes shake my hand or fist-bump me. I don't talk to him much either, but always say hello, goodbye, and thank you. And I smile a lot.

As I said, I was not overly fond of the situation at first because my boss at the time agreed to the arrangement, and he ended up not having anything to do with it. He just told me this kid (now in his twenties) would be coming in but that I wouldn't have to do anything. The first time he came in he got right in front of me, started jumping up and down beating his chest, then took off running and screaming! Yeah, my eyes probably said it all. What the hell?!? Didn't someone think I should maybe know about this?

Anyway, I soon learned to not react. Just treat him like a person. We don't really communicate verbally, but will look at one another; smile; and just sort of chill.

I don't know how much folding towels helps him, but his parents say just having a place to go and people to be around does. You could say the same for me. I could easily fold the towels in about 5 minutes myself. Learning to be around someone different is way more helpful to me though. Actually coming to like doing it... that's maybe downright miraculous!

He's taught me that there's more to life than getting things done. We don't have to talk, we don't have to be afraid, we don't need to be busy. Sometimes it's enough to just... be.

***

Psalm 46:1, 9-11

"God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble. 

He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire. 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress."