What is it about spring that lends itself to the overhaul that we call “spring cleaning?” I think that I am so bad at the routine cleaning that I love the idea of a complete overhaul where everything will be sparkling clean all at once. Unfortunately, I am so bad at the routine cleaning that the complete overhaul becomes way too big of a job to do all alone at one time. Thus I find myself trying to be satisfied with various mini-overhauls.
Today I managed to clean out the refrigerator and most of the pantry. Now I make up excuses to open those doors just to see how clean and organized they are. Is that weird? Of course the joy and satisfaction I have from getting those two places presentable gives me a hunger to tackle the whole house. I need to keep reminding myself, “baby steps, baby steps.”
The problem is that those two spaces (and any others I manage to address) will only stay this clean and organized until another family member comes along and attempts to put something away. No matter how well I sort and categorize, someone in the family will completely ignore the system and toss any old thing any old place.
I’ve tried to explain to my husband that since our home is also my place of work, I get discouraged when other people come in and mess up my space. He reminds me that since I share my space with four other people, there really is no such thing as “my” space.
I guess I’ll have to add “space for me” to my list of things I will have when the kids are gone and our ship comes in. Some day, some day . . .
Photo by Schnittke
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