Follow-Up

I posted "Cluttered vs Straightened" on a sewing forum that I am a member of. I thought it could help some of the moms and wives that are also members who struggle with this same circumstances and issues. The following post was a response I got from another member. With her permission, I posted this because I thought it to be so encouraging in hopes that it might help others. I am grateful for her willingness to open up and furthermore to let me share her heart with my readers:

Wow, what an eye opener. I am one of those "Clean freaks, a little OCD I must admit. I am guessing it is cuz of my childhood. And I now have unfortunatly passed it on to my kids. (16yr old boy and 25yr old stepdaughter)

I am such a freak, that when i have my kids or DH hang clothes on the line, I want them to be in order by item, size, and color. (I know, I need help) but I say to them, "People are going to see these clothes on the line, and if they are not in order, what will they think".

I am constantly re-arranging furniture almost every time I clean. If I clean the kitchen, I move the coffee pot to another counter, if I clean the bathroom, I re-arrange the towels, if I clean the living room, ALL the furniture (including pics on the wall) get changed. Even when my son is in school, on my way to taking him there, all I can think about is "Wow, now I can REALLY clean his room". When I get home, the gloves go on, and the radio goes up and I have at it, and of course it is rearranged. He comes home, and says "God, mom why cant you just leave my room alone?" even though he secretly wont admit that he likes the change.

The sad part is I have burdened my kids so bad with my "cleaning disorder" that now my 25yr old stepdaughter lives like a slob, and when I say slob, I mean SLOB. Dishes in the sink that have been there longer than she has, a bathroom I wont dare to go in. I tell her I will help her, and she says "This is my house not yours, and I like the lived in look." When I leave her house, I often say, "What have I done to her?" she is a beautiful girl, but her house is a mess.

And my son, same way, he is a slob, I overlook a bit, cuz he is a boy and younger. If I could go back even 5 years, I would just let them be kids. Let them have fun, without thinking (is this the way mom would do it, is this ok to mom, I better not leave this out, I better make my bed) and all of the other things I have heard them ramble about.

So my message is: life is too short to live it with a vacuum in one hand and windex in the other. Exchange those items for a hug from your kids, and relaxation.

Oh and one of my favorite quotes of all time is "Cleaning you house while your kids are still growing, is like shoveling the walk while its still snowing".