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When I get stressed, my freak out thing is to turn around and clean. Seriously, it’s my super power.
There could be worse things, right? Like devouring a tub of Ben & Jerrys, or eating a million calories worth of chocolate, then running 10 miles the next morning to burn off the guilt.
Crazy, right? I used to be like that, so cleaning is a much healthier choice in my opinion.
And honestly, I used to do that ALOT when I was stressed. But over the past few years I have ditched the evil ice cream and the crazy workout routine and turned to cleaning as my default superpower. (Sorry Ben & Jerrys, for the dramatic loss in revenue!)
My house, by the way, is immaculate these days.
It was a stressful day. So tonight, with everything on the surface already sparkling clean, I unleashed my cleaning superpowers and dug into our antique hope chest, filled with tons of old pictures of my childhood that have been tucked away since my mom died 8 years ago.
I spent time crying tonight over lost friendships, deceased family members and existing family members that we barely see due to broken relationships. Believe it or not, it was a great night, sitting alone with these memories.
Beautiful and sad memories were mixed with salty tears. And laughter. The 80s were so not a good decade for me. If I could go back to my pre-teen years, I’d hug my poor sad, defenseless mullet-haired, brace-faced self and tell her that it’s going to be OK: “One day, you will be a beautiful butterfly. Without permed bangs. Hang in there.”
As the hours went by, I began thinking, why are these pictures tucked away in a beautiful hope chest? Sure the mullet ones can stay hidden forever as far as I’m concerned. But why aren’t the smiles and the hugs and the laughter and good friendships displayed throughout my home to cherish daily? What a welcoming thing to come home to after a long day of work!
Take gentle care of yourself today. ツ