Do you ever have a vision of how your day will go? Or, do you have these grandiose ideas on how to make your living space better? For years I have felt like I’ve been fighting a losing battle between myself and…… well, myself!
I grew up in a spotless home. However, it was effortlessly spotless. I don’t remember my mom ever yelling at anyone to pick up their stuff and put it away, or running after my brother and I to put our toys in their rightful spots. My dad had his tools neatly in his tool area at all times. He even made his own wine! And that was always neatly tucked away. My mom’s sewing and crocheting had an area, everything had a home. How did she do it? And I always wondered why I couldn’t! Was I lazy? Well….. maybe, but only sometimes. Was I just a bad mom? Well…. sometimes. We all have our moments, right? I mean, come on! My mom was cool! She did some amazing crafts with us: we made ghosts out of sugar and string, paper-mâché masks, dioramas, and really cool dinosaurs that totally landed me in our local newspaper. My mom was even my Blue Bird Troop leader. I mean, she sewed on our troop badges. The back of the sash looked just as beautiful as the front - I could not even iron on my girls badges. Believe me, I tried to find every short cut. I finally just asked my mom to do it.
My children know that I struggled in school. Math was not my friend! I could NOT pass my multiplication facts test. My mom kept me home from school day, (shhh, don’t tell my teacher!) That gave me an extra day at home to study. We popped popcorn, she braided my hair, and made me magic cookies! Her magic cookies were the bomb! They helped me to learn how to ride my bike, calm me down when I got all panicky, well, they were mom's magic cookies. They fixed everything. We spent all day long going over and over and over those facts. What a saint! I’m trying not to cry sitting here remembering it. I really struggled and my mom was my cheerleader! The next day - I PASSED! And the entire class gave me a standing ovation. I’m 50 years old, and that’s what I remember! I remember that my mom took the time to be with me, to love me, to be patient with me. I remember the feeling, the love, the crafts, the fun.
As you look around your home, I want you to please LOOK at who is in your home. The stuff in your home is just stuff. It doesn’t matter. The people that you choose to surround yourself with matter. Today, no cleaning, no organizing, please, make memories. Make some magic cookies.
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