My House Must Clean Itself Because To Others, It Appears I Do Nothing
Posted: Wednesday, July 18, 2007
by Susan Thom
I sit on my computer for hours out of the day. For some, that would instantly mean I do nothing else. Well, I take breaks. I just dustbusted my stairs and upstairs hallway, and the rug looks really nice. Then I washed the stone floor in our downstairs bathroom. Every couple of days I wash the sink, the toilet, the floor, and dust the wooden cabinet, and silk ivy plant hanging from the wall. I then take the throw rug outside and shake it out.
When I am done, I sit on my computer for awhile, and my son walks by, my daughter, my partner, but not when I'm cleaning and deodorizing their humble abode. I may throw a load of laundry in and write a story, then fold the laundry and towels that ninety per cent of the time are waiting, by some strange circumstance, in the bathroom closets. And of course, this house has to have two full baths. When I feel up to it, I accomplish one bathroom at a time, Ajax and me. We sanitize, clean, and brighten. But you see, there’s no one in the bathroom with me to know how much my back is hurting as I bend over the tub and get it spotless. No one is there to move out of my way as I wash the floor on my hands and knees, thinking to myself, "I’m too old for this."
I do the tub, sink, and behind the faucets. I Can’t even believe no one notices when the black and orange is gone, miraculously! And if they do, they've never mentiond it. I do the toilet, behind the toilet, pack the closet with towels, vacuum the throw rug, and it’s on to sit at my computer again. Now, these three kids of mine have got to know that when their shampoo was empty one day, and full the next, with creme rinse right next to it, somebody had to put it there, and remember it at Wal-Marts, as with the toothpaste and toothbrushes.
Again, they pass by me as I sit at my computer, and I can hear them think to themselves, "she does nothing around here." "She doesn't contribute a thing."
I have a beautiful family room, and once a day, when no one is around! I go in, fix the pillows my kids like to misplace all over, and vacuum the rug, get stains out on my hands and knees, lemon oil the mantel piece an stone flooring, dust the furniture, and walla, beauty. When I have a little extra energy, around once a week, I Windex the sliding doors. I guess the rain cleans those!
I try very hard to keep my kitchen looking nice. It’s a beautiful room, and it connects to our eating area and family room. I empty the dishwasher, stack the dishwasher, oops, nobody’s around, wash the counters, vacuum the floor, wash the floor, clean the refrigerator of any messes I see, clean the microwave every other day, and make sure the sink is clean and behind the faucets is free of dirt. (definitely a pet peeve) and of course, the stove, and did you know if you left crumbs around a toaster long enough, they’ll still be there?
After this is all done, without anyone seeing me or feeling my back burning, I write a little more, and go up to my bathroom, and clean the rug, sink, behind the faucets!, the toilet, behind the toilet, and the tub, while making sure there are towels in the closet, and toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner in place.
All three bathroom floors are clean, most of the time, and yet, five people use them, and they stay clean?
In between these unnoticed duties, I run to the A & P, or Wal-Mart, or anywhere else I need to go. I visit the bank, the pharmacy, the gas station, and the post office. I take my daughter to work at 7:15. I pick her up at four, until she can get her car. I take my son to the doctors, and for tests to see why he passed out, we needed to go three times, same hospital, three different dates! I took him to a gas station and a school to see if he could get a job, of which, I am going to be driving him to and from. I keep up with my two dogs at the vet. I make sure they have food, and that they are fed and watered and bathed. Once a week I treat myself to a reflexology massage, and I love it. There is nothing like it, and I gain so much out of the experience. Between the massage, and the wonderful talks I have with my reflexologist, it is a very important weekly routine that lasts until the next time. Sometimes, I have the energy to wipe down the baseboards and the wood we have coming down the stairs, and in between the family room and kitchen.
I could wash a load of clothes a day, but I don’t want to, so I always have a lot when I finally make myself take on the task at hand.
So, now, my house is pretty clean. It looks nice, smells nice, is sanitized and clean, and I can go back on my computer-where, of course, everyone thought I’ve been the whole time. I am a mother, and I take care of those duties to the best of my ability. Others may think there’s more I could do, and maybe there is, but I talk to my kids, and take care of them in the physical sense, the emotional sense is still up for question. I have my bouts of depression when all I want to do is stay on my computer, and I do. But, I bounce back in my time, and start the cleaning process all over again, even though everyone thinks little fairies come in to do it when we’re asleep. They think my fingers are the only digits that get exercise. They don’t see me sweating like a pig while I’m cleaning and vacuuming and dusting and washing, and folding clothes. All that is taken for granted, and I’m never once acknowledged for what I’ve done, but rather, for what I haven’t done. That’s always an ego booster.
For the past nine years my partner and I have been together, I have done the bills, and done a good job. Everything was paid on time, or early, no bill collectors, and we had very good credit.
Just being a mother of a sixteen, twenty, and twenty one year old, is a lifetime in itself. Then, to do everything else on top of it is a miracle, and yet, no one sees a thing. They must know you did it, they didn’t! But because it isn’t what they perceive to be "major work", like the work they do, they look down on you and think you got a free ride.
Let’s see. How dare I? I wanted to be a mom. I wanted to have a nice home. A boy I had met a few times with a responsible attitude, came into the post office where I worked, gave me his number, so I called him, and we were off to the races.
There are those who don’t think housewives and mothers should be considered as contributors to a home and it’s value. That’s a shame. Most women are the backbone of these homes. I did everything by myself. I may not have gotten paid in dollars, or contributed to this home in dollars, but I certainly maintained it for part ownership. If I had let this house look run down and dirty, it wouldn’t be worth what it is today. But that’s right, i forgot, I don’t do anything.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Man! Did I write this and just don't remember? Oh wait, except for the bill collector thing. I am not that good with money a the moment. Really behind. I absolutely love this article. It made me feel...not alone.Please log in to respond to this comment.hi sherry,i apologize for the delay in responding, there was a glitz somewhere and i didn't get my notices until today. this whole "not having a job" things burns me up more than anything. i know someone who drives a car for 8 hours, and that's it, but they point the finger at me as not having a job, and yet, i work a hundred times harder than they do.thanks for reading and commenting,my best regards,suePlease log in to respond to this comment.
Too Funny.... nice job Susan... thoughts we all have had.
Rhonda Miga, CYLC Director of Motivation, Leadership and CommunityPlease log in to respond to this comment.
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