One of my home responsibilities in the late-spring is to open our above-ground pool for the summer.

By the time the pool cover is removed and has been washed and stored, new sand is placed in the sand filter, filter hoses are reconnected, chemicals are placed in the pool, and the filter is turned on, about four hours will have passed. It is a lot of tedious work.

In particular, I do not like reconnecting the filter hose and pipes to the filter. More often than not, some connection is not done correctly and causes a leak. Sometimes it leaks a lot. Such was the case this year. In addition to the incorrect connection, I ended up pulling something in my shoulder when I tried to tighten one of the leaky filter pipes using a heavy plumber’s wrench. I am hoping that it is just a strain and not a small rotor cuff tear, but I have had shoulder pain and discomfort since Tuesday. Also, to my frustration and embarrassment, I overtightened the leaking connection and then was no longer able loosen it and reattach it correctly.

Luckily, St. John Pool came to my rescue when I asked them if they could fix the pipe connection and leak. I was so happy to find out that the reason for the jammed connection was that the threads were not aligned evenly when I tightened it. Fortunately, I did not “strip” them, and so the careful hands of the St. John Pool expert were able to simply realign the connection once again, and then reattach it with no further leaks occurring.

I worked my entire career for the Franciscan Alliance Healthcare system. We would often be reminded of the need to do the highest quality work possible for the patients we are privileged to serve. In this regard, we told ourselves to treat every patient like he or she was a family member. We used a simple phrase, “Do the right thing, the right way, in the right place, each time, every time, and on time.”

I did not do that when connecting the filter pipe to the filter, and then I tried to force the connection, which caused me to hurt my shoulder in a hurry to fix the situation.

I think that phrase would be a good guide in one’s spiritual life in loving God and following Jesus' teachings. We must always remember that we sometimes make mistakes, and we should know that our loving Jesus is there to forgive and heal us when we do.

It is just amazing what one can think about when opening the pool for the summer. 

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek