Last week I was sitting on the floor of the laundry room. Four loads were piled in front of me, overflowing from their basket, in what we like to call “the laundry mountain”. It’s big and gnarly and appears to be a lot of work to restore it to folded order so rest assured, my friends, I’m the only one in our family who ever summits that beast.
As the dryer tossed the fifth load, the one of cloth diapers, I took a deep breath. Jemma and Max were quietly playing in her room – most likely coloring, hopefully just paper, and I was alone. No one bothers me when I’m in the laundry room. I’m guessing it’s because they fear I’ll ask them to match socks or roll towels. The nerve! It used to really both me, that everyone could throw their clothes into the hamper (or a random corner) and a few days later they’d magically appear, clean and folded. But now, not so much. I read awhile back, and this is a rough, much less eloquent rendition, that as women and housewives and mothers we get to choose what we take joy in. So simple, but so freakin’ true. We choose our joy. I can choose to let laundry laundry bother me or I can choose to embrace it. Because truly, having laundry that grows into a mountain is beyond a blessing.
Now, I’ve found that I love the rumble of the machines. I love the order and the simple step by step of the laundry process. I don’t love attending to stains, but thankfully, my mom, battles that task for me as if she’s my personal laundress and for that I’m eternally thankful.
Most days I can walk in to that little room, spend 30 minutes and within that time it transforms from exploding disaster to pristine order. It’s nice. To have a small task that can be completed thoroughly and completely while not taking too much time.
Someday, if you happen upon my house, you just may find me tucked away in my favorite room. The rest of the house will most likely have piles of clutter and cobwebs. I noticed today that my kitchen cabinets are in desperate need of a scrubbing. But the laundry room, that small little space that no one bothers and has taught me to choose joy, that will probably be looking pretty sharp :)