Sunday, March 7, 2010

Clean House = Crazy Person

Several years back I entered a very messy house. It wasn't gross - just dusty with stuff strewn about. I recall there being a framed sign upon entry with something along the lines of "A clean house is a sign of a confused mind." I remember thinking that was strange.

I grew up in a very clean house - almost sterile. I can remember Dad making me dust the table multiple times until I got it "right." Every Saturday we woke early. Mom, my sister and I worked the inside of the house while Dad worked on the lawn. By noon it was done and our house looked like something out of Better Homes and Gardens. As we all got older and our schedules got crazier my parents hired a maid. We still did the cleaning ritual before she came.

I continued the tradition when I moved out on my own. I remember I even vacuumed the floors daily in my apartment because I liked the tracks in my carpet. There was always a sense of pride and comfort with having a good, clean home that was always, ALWAYS ready to receive friends.

I wonder what happened?

I'm now 40, married with two boys and I can't keep the house clean to save my life. Heck, my 2 year old stripped down naked the other day and painted himself with my fabric paints. This was on the heals of getting into the 11 year old's trombone slide oil and "fixing" his hair. It seems like it's a daily battle just to get everyone where they are supposed to be and ensure there is food in the house (I did say I have an 11 year old). When the heck am I supposed to clean?

To top it off, I seem to have lost my desire to clean. Yeah, I appreciate it when it's done and I always think, "Man, I need to keep this up" once I get it back to that fresh-smelling state. But something always gets in the way of my cleaning schedule. And yes, I've tried Fly Lady.

I may be at the point where I need to pay someone to take care of things, but it just seems like a waste of money when I am perfectly capable.

I now understand the point of that sign I read all those years ago. When the house is messy, I'm not worried or confused . . . maybe just a little disgusted. But when the house is clean I worry about how I'm going to keep it that way.

With friendship,

Care'

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