Speaking of praising...
Cleaning house has a way of making me so incredibly grateful. For example, this weekend, I'd pick up an object--say a glass, heart-shaped candy dish--dust it off, wipe down the table on which it sat, and then set it down again. The whole time I held that dish, I was reminded of its story--who gave it to me (My mom) and what that person and object mean to me (My mom is EVERYTHING to me (There's no dumbing that one down); And the hand-me-down, heart-shaped candy dish reminds me of how much she loves me (As well as her nearly equal love of M&Ms)). I also thought about why A and I display certain items and not others (Because we think objects' stories are half their value; We like things that remind us, make us feel, and give us something to think about later). Suddenly our house becomes something much bigger than a place to eat and sleep. It literally becomes a LIVING space--one that shines and glimmers in our minds and hearts.
Speaking of sparkly things...I walked into our bedroom this weekend and light was pouring through the windows, glinting off this glass-blown hot air balloon that hangs from the ceiling. I stopped what I was doing and just basked in that bright, happy moment...
a picture that doesn't do the sunlight justice :(
...which only carried over as I watered our plants outside. It was 100 degrees this weekend in Colorado, if you can imagine (my skin just flushes at the THOUGHT of that kind of heat). There I was, standing on our front porch, the sun beating on my face and back, a bee buzzing over my head somewhere, and the powdery smell of cherry blossoms filling my nose (Is it just me or do smells intensify in heat?). I just couldn't believe my good graces! Like, what did I do to deserve this beautiful day?! So again, I stopped what I was doing and took a mental picture of that moment: The sudden green-ness of everything! The trees, the grass! The purple irises standing straight and tall in the NONEXISTENT breeze! The ants on our steps! The warmth of the concrete under my bare feet! Birds chirping from what seemed like every tree! THE. EARTH. WAS. ALIVE. And I witnessed it's very breath.
But I've got something silly to say, so don't mind the tangent...Have you all washed your clothes with Gain before? Good God, our closet is some kind of freshened heaven!
Not only is everything clean and in its place, but everything smells like...like...well, like I can do anything I want to! So I guess fabulous-smelling clothes = empowerment? Who knew, right? I owe those folks at Gain a thank you note.
But to the HEART of what I've been trying to say... (I've always been easily distracted by sparkly things and laundry :-/ )
For me, A's and my material possessions serve a higher purpose than just DECOR (How hoity-toity is that word, by the way?). Our belongings remind us of our many NON-MATERIAL blessings. Personally, they make me think of how blessed I am to have married the best man I know. They make me think of the constancy, the ever open arms, and the unquestioning love of my family. They make me think of my fruitful and fulfilling friendships...
...cleaning house, object by object, room by room, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude. And it's as if the light pouring into our house is testimony for who I owe thanks to--the big G-O-D.
It's true I have difficulty sitting still for extended periods of time. But cleaning? It's the new meditation, my friends.
On this week's docket? Reorganizing the family heirloom dishes in our buffet cabinets. I can't wait :)
Do y'all have things in your house that make you think beyond the object?
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