Here’s something I don’t understand: Seeing a drainer full of dry dishes getting piled onto by a layer of wet ones because nobody bothers to put away the original set. Am I the only one who feels this way?
This is not about blame. I’m sure I have my own share of unconscious behaviors that drive people nuts.
The wet-on-top-of-dry thing is just something that bothers me. To me it’s like taking the clean laundry out of the dryer and throwing it back into the washing machine – again and again– until someone takes a moment to fold the clothes and put them away. It makes no sense.
More to the point, I wonder what the effect would be if everyone on the planet took one minute to consciously tend to one thing. For us in the west maybe it could be as simple as putting away the car keys or the remote control or the reading glasses in the same place every day. Rounding up all the stray cups and glasses from the living room before going to bed. Picking up the dirty clothes off the floor and putting them into the hamper.
Takes what? Less than a minute?
And if that’s still too much to manage, it could be as simple as sliding the chairs back under the table. Or turning out the lights in rooms that no one is using. Closing the drawers ‘til they click shut. Capping the toothpaste tube.
It’s sounds so simple doesn’t it? But if it were that simple, why is it so hard? What’s behind the resistance?
Here’s what I know: When we insert awareness into any ordinary task, and repeat it every day, we create a sense of ease and fluidity that I can only describe as effortless, spacious magic.
Thanks for your message! I want you to know that I now empty out the dish drainer before putting cleaned and wet ones in! (You wouldn’t believe what a tower I could make- then, to need the item on the bottom of the pile, yikes!) I am working on hanging up jackets instead of using dining room chairs as silent valets.
Guilty of this one, I”ll admit it! I do have potent nesting tendencies 😉 but things are improving. Mindfulness practice does indeed create space for other good things in life, much better than say, a frantic day dealing w/ piles of stuff to put away before company comes!
I, for one, can’t bring myself to touch the dishes in the sink if there is anything in the drainer. It’s a bad plan, and I just don’t want to be part of it.
I laughed to myself on this one. My morning had a litany of these things: is it so very hard to put away the dishes before washing new ones, wipe the hair out of the bathtub after having a bath, etc? To my family’s credit, we are all conscientious about turning out the lights when we’re not in a room. I love your message: what if we all took one minute to tend to one thing? It’s what’s needed, to take care of what we have, responsibility for it.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been here in your space. Feels good to read your words again. I feel restful and spacious just by being here, reading your words!
Awww…. It’s soooo great to “see” you again, Jane. Thank you so much for stopping by. I so value your comments and added wisdom!
I’m coming up on my one year anniversary of this blog and I remember that your blog and message was one of my sources of inspiration.
With so much more content, I needed a better way to organize and feature it, so I upgraded to a new and improved “spacious” blog home. It’s still a work-in-progress (I don’t have a header yet for example), but it’s my dream and hope to have this be a place that readers want to stop by and “FEEL RESTFUL” as you so beautifully convey.
When I have a little more time, I’ll stop by for a visit your blog home!
Sending you big, spacious hugs and blessings from you tree sister.