Restoring order…
When my life feels out of control and my soul is rubbed raw, I long to create order.
Although the world continues to spin out of control, my soul demands time to stop, organize, and create order. There is something incredibly soothing about putting stuff away.
I am not a hung up on clean and spotless when it comes to my home. I just never put that much stock in meticulously cleaned bathrooms and bleached trash cans. Occasionally when I walk in to someone’s home, I just know we cannot be friends… Kathy’s house and car were always so clean, I felt down right grubby. But she loved me anyway, and I teased her mercilessly. So, don’t look closely when you stop by, my focus is on other things.
While I certainly care about the style of my home, I am not a slave to fashion or fads. I’ve been through HGTV fads… ask my family about the pink striped living room circa 1998. But now, I’ve found a classic style that works for me. I don’t have theme Christmas trees in every room of the house (12) any more, and we never really decorate outside. I’m no longer a crazy holiday decorator, but instead focus on just a few pieces that hold shared memories. (I do reserve the right to revisit the crazy Christmas things when grandchildren enter my world.) These days, I try and spend my time on things that make people feel comfortable at home.
But, I do demand that my house work… for me. I require the systems of my home provide support for my life. My kitchen must help me feed people. The laundry area must help me tackle the mess. My bedroom must help me sleep well and get ready for work in the morning. All the areas of my life need to serve my need for efficiency and effectiveness. This is a working house. When my kids were little, it was the center of my whole life. These days, the house isn’t working as hard as it used to, but the systems still have to take care of me. As my life becomes more demanding outside the house, I have learned to lean hard on the things that work and make me feel connected at home. I’ve thought about hiring someone to help, but the process of organizing, preparing, and yes even cleaning, ground me and make me feel whole. I know, it’s weird. But it’s true.
So, today I will put stuff away and make sure we have supplies to make our life work for the coming week. I will look at the calendar and plan for meals and note the people and events that demand preparation and planning. I will organize my home and restore my heart at the same time.
This is number 24 of a 31 day writing challenge. Please click here to follow the rest of the series. Thank you for joining me on this journey!