In Which I Sigh the Sigh of Relief - Albeit Momentarily
Today I clean my room. It's been way too long, which is the typical space of time between cleanings unfortunately. My husband is quite patient.
I read a book years ago which I highly recommend - Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund - from which I gleaned many great ideas on how to prioritize and organize and simplify my approach to life. But, in spite of Anne's suggestion that our most personal and private spaces are the truest reflection of our priorities, I continue to be an utter failure when it comes to keeping my bedroom tidy. (Heavens! What if she is right??!)
When push comes to shove (and it always comes to shove at my house) and the kids come to me with that quizzical look that says, "Where should I put this?", invariably the object of that question (that floating pile of "things without a home") ends up at the foot of my bed just around the corner from a stack of books being researched for a new curriculum idea which is found sitting on the floor by my nightstand. Discarded clothes waiting to be sent to the church blessing shop soon join the collection. One might also find an unfolded blanket donated by a son who decides that his bedding is now too warm. Dance shoes and costumes from last week's performance are located on the floor underneath the window. Etc., etc.
You get the idea. Mom's room is the catchall. Someplace has to be. Well, that, of course, isn't true. Someone somewhere would get the thing returned to its rightful owner immediately. Or they perhaps have a closet designated purely for "floating" items. I myself thought it quite clever some years ago when I set aside a shelf for borrowed items. But it cannot begin to contain all that accumulates at 1942. Said shelf is home to books and CDs and DVDs, etc. But clothes, dishes, hair dryers, etc. just won't all fit. So, the floor at the foot of my bed becomes their home away from home.
And today? Today I'm cleaning my room. Hooray! Once finished, I will luxuriate (I hope my lit class is reading this and noticing that I used a vocabulary word) in the empty space, the lack of piles, the simplified life represented by this tidy personal space as I fool myself into believing (for a day or two) that I really do have it all together after all.
I read a book years ago which I highly recommend - Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund - from which I gleaned many great ideas on how to prioritize and organize and simplify my approach to life. But, in spite of Anne's suggestion that our most personal and private spaces are the truest reflection of our priorities, I continue to be an utter failure when it comes to keeping my bedroom tidy. (Heavens! What if she is right??!)
When push comes to shove (and it always comes to shove at my house) and the kids come to me with that quizzical look that says, "Where should I put this?", invariably the object of that question (that floating pile of "things without a home") ends up at the foot of my bed just around the corner from a stack of books being researched for a new curriculum idea which is found sitting on the floor by my nightstand. Discarded clothes waiting to be sent to the church blessing shop soon join the collection. One might also find an unfolded blanket donated by a son who decides that his bedding is now too warm. Dance shoes and costumes from last week's performance are located on the floor underneath the window. Etc., etc.
You get the idea. Mom's room is the catchall. Someplace has to be. Well, that, of course, isn't true. Someone somewhere would get the thing returned to its rightful owner immediately. Or they perhaps have a closet designated purely for "floating" items. I myself thought it quite clever some years ago when I set aside a shelf for borrowed items. But it cannot begin to contain all that accumulates at 1942. Said shelf is home to books and CDs and DVDs, etc. But clothes, dishes, hair dryers, etc. just won't all fit. So, the floor at the foot of my bed becomes their home away from home.
And today? Today I'm cleaning my room. Hooray! Once finished, I will luxuriate (I hope my lit class is reading this and noticing that I used a vocabulary word) in the empty space, the lack of piles, the simplified life represented by this tidy personal space as I fool myself into believing (for a day or two) that I really do have it all together after all.
posted by Darlene Sinclair at
8:38 AM
2 Comments:
love this! Me too, cleaning our oft forgotten bedroom space is top priority. Thanks for the boost!
I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who does not have a room, or several spots, that become catch-all areas.
Enjoy your newly cleaned space, for however brief it may be!
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