Friday, January 13, 2012

A Clean House

When my house is completely clean, I feel _________.

How would you answer that question?

Sometimes there are days when I just don't feel like doing housework. I just want to watch
Team Umizoomi with the kids, bake cookies, play with Barbies or Legos, read a story I've read 100 times to them...anything besides what I should take time to do each day. I don't want to do the daily chores that are never ending. While I realize it's just part of being an adult (and, dare I say, especially part of being a stay-at-home mom), I find that I am almost childlike on occasion, in complete protest of cleaning my room!

But what I have found to be overwhelmingly true is how I feel when I've done what I should do. When the house is just as it should be, and I look around to see everything in its place...


...like a toy-free, shoe-free, randompaper-free living room.












Or a bedroom with no laundry baskets, no clothes on the floor, no stacks of papers to go through.













Or even a dining room table filled with a few loads of folded laundry on its way to be put away.
















When the dishes are done, when I've planned ahead for dinner, when the bathrooms have clean toilets and there are no Hello Kitty hair ties lying in the sink...I feel many things.


I feel proud that I'm taking care of my home.

I feel accomplished because I did my part.


I feel happy because I like the way my house looks.




But mostly, I'd say I feel at peace. And when I feel at peace about my home, it's a great feeling. I'd guess this feeling comes from doing something that is intrinsic to a woman. Perhaps that sounds unliberated, and I'm certainly not saying a man shouldn't help out. But when Proverbs 31 says, "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness," it means to me that we are more prone to feel the need to have our homes in order. No matter if a woman works outside of the home or not, no wonder she must feel a sense of peace about her home when she's worked hard to keep it just as it should be.


Peace.


That's a feeling I need daily. And somehow I need to remind myself of that peaceful feeling when all I want to do is do nothing.




11 comments:

Causey Fam said...

Exactly!

Anonymous said...

wow..your bedroom is beautiful!!

Wendy said...

Oh my goodness, I was just saying this to my husband! I completely feel at peace will there is order and everything is put where it belongs. Couldn't have said better Chrissy!

Ashley said...

Peace is a very good description of what I feel when I have a clean and organized house! I'm a much calmer, more attentive mom when the house is in order, for sure!

thechattymommy said...

Ok- hate this post, because my house is currently looking like a bomb shelter.

accesskas27 said...

Well this post was definetly inspiring.... I went through my kitchen, we got some new furniture, I am going to have the carpets cleaned, I painted Anna's room.... and I have much much more planned. :-)

I have days where I too just wanna sit and play, and while I think there are days where that is what we should do, for the most part it is my "job" to take care of my home and make sure that my children and husband have everything they need and that they live in a clean, organized home. Hopefully I can stay inspired and get things organized the way it should be.

Thanks for posting this.. it truly did inspire and encourage me!!

thechattymommy said...

Thought about my comment. Hope you know i was kidding. Not about my house looking like a bomb shelter- cuz it does- lol.
But I don't "hate" your post. You are just reminding me of the things I need to do!

trooppetrie said...

if i wake up in the morning and my house is straight I am instantly in a great mood. If i come home after being out and the house is clean I instantly can relax. I so understand how you feel

Aries said...

Oh yes, I love a clean house too, but just like anyone else, occasionally I tend to be lazy. After a few days I am back to cleaning again as I could not stand the mess. Happy New Year to you

Anonymous said...

I feel the exact same way! After teaching all day I just want to sit on the couch and watch Friends and relax. But then the house get more and more messy...which stresses me out!

Chris isnt home till 6ish each day and I have plenty of time to do things around the house when he isnt there. On the days that I do....I feel so much better about how the house looks.

For me it is laundry that I hate. Right now, doing laundry for 2 is so much more than I am use to and it tends to get out of controle! But, when I have those days when I get the laundry baskets almost empty of dirty clothes...its amazing!

So, I totally understand where you are coming from.

Sonja

mndesai said...

You're so right! It's such an amazing feeling

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