We have a fridge in our garage that I’m pretty sure is magical. Anytime we run out of milk in our main fridge, if I go out there and check the garage fridge, a new gallon of milk has somehow appeared out of the ether, ready for me to grab it and bring it inside. The only realistic explanation I can come up with is that house elves keep that fridge stocked, ready at all times. I’ve considered grabbing the milk, closing the door, and then reopening it right away to see if I can spot them in the act, but I decided it isn’t worth tempting fate.
Okay. Obviously I know that isn’t the case. I know Denisa goes to the store regularly, and she keeps an eye on when we need more milk, and she buys it when we do. I joke about house elves with the family, but as I was joking about it with Daniela it occurred to me that there are often many things people do without being recognized.
And so I came up with the House Elf Test.
Take a look around yourself at what you do each day and week, and see if there’s anything that you take for granted. Something that works just because it’s always worked before in the past. Do the dishes magically get cleaned in the sink? Do cookies appear in the cookie jar? Does clean laundry somehow appear folded, ready for you to put away? Does the computer always somehow work, never needing restarts or updates? Does the snow on the driveway just disappear, all by itself?
When you’re a kid, it’s much easier to not even realize how many of these things happen without you having any clue. The utilities all just stay on. Electric. Heat. Internet. Netflix. Chores around the house. But even when you get older, there are still a ton of different things that need doing, some of which you might not even realize are being done.
It’s a good exercise, then, to take the time to think this through and see if someone might be supporting you in ways you’re not recognizing. Unless you’re living in a completely one-sided relationship, I’d like to believe there are things you’re doing that might not be recognized, just as there are things others are doing.
If you come up with some realizations in this process, maybe throw one of those elves a sock now and then, if you know what I mean. Or at least thank them for what they’ve been doing.