Yes. Dishwashing.
Fascinating, isn't it? It's on my mind today because I was also tired yesterday and decided that I could get away with not washing the dishes last night. I'll just go to bed early, I thought, and in the morning I'll wash them up. This was really silly, because I never have time in the morning to wash dishes. And today that meant that I didn't get to the massive pile till this afternoon. I wish I'd taken a picture of it. It was pretty impressive. The small batch in the drainer in the picture above is just the few plates from dinner. I wasn't about to let those sit another night.
Washing dishes is one of those strange chores that can be therapeutic and relaxing--soap, warm water, methodical washing, rinsing, and drying. It gives the mind time to wander and decompress. It can be a beautiful thing.
But not when the dishes pile up. Then it's just a headache. So I hope I learned my lesson for a couple weeks that I can't let the dishes go....
I do hope someday the kids will come to see the pleasure of dishwashing. Until then, we'll require it of them now and then. For the most part, though, I'll selfishly keep the task for myself.
(Don't let them in on my secret!)
Dishwashing was the first chore I ever learned (followed closely by cleaning the bathroom). Mom would put a dining room chair up to the sink and let me go. As you said earlier, it lost its luster, but handwashing is so engrained in me, that I have used it comfort me when I'm homesick; and, when I get overwhelmed by housework, I start with washing the dishes by hand- despite the dishwasher - just to have that feeling of satisfaction and completion. On a good day, that leads to cleaning the kitchen, sweeping the floor, putting away laundry, etc....on a good day :) Maria
ReplyDeleteOooh, I like results like that. I wish my dishwashing led to more productivity :) . But I love how it works for settling the mind and heart, like you said.
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