Spring Cleaning

Old Man Winter, I love you, truly I do.. what, with your snowy hillsides ready for sledding and skiing; your frozen ponds and lakes teeming with ice skaters and fishermen; your bare trees covered in a thin layer of freshly fallen powdery snow glistening on naked branches and all.  However, there comes a time when we must part and go our separate ways for yet another year before being reunited once again.  Your silver white snowcapped mountains must at some point, melt into spring’s flowing brooks.

Ah Spring.. that exciting time of year when patches of snow are replaced by greening grass and splashes of wonderful colors as the flower buds begin to sprout and awaken; When the world seems anew.

I feel lighter anticipating the comfortable, airy clothing that Spring brings.  The ability to wear flip flops or most often at home, no shoes at all.  Walking barefoot across the grass; sitting on the deck in shorts and a tee; inhaling the luscious odors that warm breezes bring; watching the birds return, build their nests and beginning their families.

While Spring Cleaning may not be at the top of the “List of Favorites” for some, it’s always (secretly) been on the top of mine.  No, I’m not plagued with a compulsion for cleanliness - no, that’s a lie, I most definitely am.  The thing is, I feel less stressed in a clean, neat and organized home.  My home is a haven from stress, a treasured retreat from ‘Real Life’, a place I can relax, unwind and be at peace.  All the things I like (candles, music, the newly discovered ChocoVine, exotic cheeses, fruits and crackers to name but a few), are always on hand; I can quickly turn my bathroom into a spa, my Library into a home gym and my bedroom is a great place for meditation, reflection and writing – among other things.  I can (usually) find whatever I’m looking for within a matter of minutes.  

It's about clean, clean, clean. To me, it doesn't matter if you will ever find it again, whether you can reach it, whether you really liked it or not, it's about what you can't see but what should be noticed.  A time to take inventory and get rid of the things you don’t need.

Inventory of Memories – I try to keep an inventory of memories that can immediately make me smile.  Occasions where I have felt happy, appreciative and cheerful.  When I was at a particular peace with the world. Reminiscing those happy moments gives me a balanced perspective to my situation. I realize that what appears negative today will change tomorrow. Nothing stays the same.

I scour thoughts places others may have never considered purging cleaning; Sometimes with a mop, sometimes with a rag and sometimes with a toothbrush. Picture this; a woman on her knees, spray bottle in one hand, worn toothbrush in the other-scrubbing. Her whole body joined in as she sprays and scrubs and sprays and scrubs. Such resolve.

Resolve.  Resolution to wipe the slate house clean; Resolution to start over begin the season with open heart, mind windows; Resolution to forget organized and take inventory stock of all the items in my life home.  Each day season is a new beginning, the opportunity to start fresh. 

Shift My Thoughts – Be conscious of my thoughts, especially when life just isn’t going my way. The moment I see that I am diving into frustration, sorrow or low self-esteem – shift my thoughts, by thinking about something completely unrelated. This breaks the pattern of self-pity, mind-created stories, and negative downward spiral.  I must be conscious of the task at hand even if I am singing along to Billy Joel’s Piano Man while the cat casually strolls across the floor I just washed.

The laundry room is a great place to start next.  After all, dirty laundry needs some airing cleaning does it not? I begin by leaning over my washer with Q-tips, scrubbing the mold off the inside, the little pockets underneath the lid. “Who does this?” my daughter asks.  I wonder if she sees the lesson in a good cleaning?  And that is not all. I scoured the top of my stove until it shined. I thought the brown gook was a permanent fixture, but apparently not – gotta love Soft Scrub with bleach.  And the teapot, it too is scoured and shining as is the shelf over the stove and the exhaust hood.  (More Q-tips, got to put that on my list, get more Q-tips.)

Find the Lesson – There is a lesson to be learned from every situation. No matter how unfortunate the situation may appear, recognize the beautiful lessons waiting to be discovered. Sometimes lessons are expensive or tough to learn, but every problem is a learning opportunity in disguise. I may have made a mistake, but now I can accept it and continue, knowing that I will make a different decision in the future. I  must understand this and be appreciative for the experience.

I move furniture, rearrange whole rooms, buy new bedding, iron curtains, hang them; I fluff pillows, dust, mop floors, vacuum, bake cookies, wash dishes, clean a window or two, make beds, bath my dog, feed my cat and change the litter box.  I am grateful to see these things done, no longer taunting me, tasks calling out to me to be completed.

Attitude of Gratitude  - A lesson I’ve been learning from a FB friend:  You cannot be both angry and grateful at the same time. Start counting the blessings and miracles in your life, start looking for them and you will find more. I must realize how lucky I am and all the abundance in my life.

The top of the refrigerator is scrutinized and scoured.  The refrigerator is then opened, content and expiration dates checked, shelves are washed, food returned, a fresh box of Arm and Hammer is opened and placed on the bottom shelf.  Lemons are cut up and run through the garbage disposal.  Knick-Knacks are removed and shelves are dusted, trash is hauled to the truck bed, stairs are swept and washed.  It feels good to look around and see these things done instead of simply visualizing them as done.  Oh how this house is really coming together now, I can see the progress and fruits of my labor.

Positive Affirmations & Visualization – I need to practice seeing myself in a positive and confident light. This is important, as sometimes I can be so hard on myself.  I am guilty of being extra tough on myself, but have learned over time to recognize my gifts rather than finding false and self-imposed inadequacies.

 
So I sit here now in an empty house (Well, Prince and The BurgerMeister Meisterburger are here so it’s not really empty – my daughter is off for some pet sitting).  Instead of a subtle-urine scent (I did mention that I changed the cat box), my basement hallway now smells like lemon Pine Sol, my bathroom smells of bleach and Dove soap. The meticulously ironed curtains, hang with pride. The pillows on the couch sit clean, dry, fluffed and lovely. The whole house is buzzing with clean. I can almost see it smiling with its new found look and smell, no longer criticizing me for its former state.

Criticizing Detox Diet – I must work on changing my approach and attitude, stop criticizing others and situations. Our cultural conditioning teaches us to find flaws and problems at all times. I need to shift from fault-finding to appreciation-finding.

A few candles burn as the day gives way to dusk, filling the room with the scent of Sandlewood.  The only light other than the candles is from my computer screen.  The television is off (as usual) replaced instead by the music playing softly from my radio.  My dog lays at the side of my bed, steadfast and loyal to me as ever.  The cat is curled around my right ankle, purring and kneading away at the comforter cover and I am at peace in this perfectly clean moment.

*Note: credit on the bold imprinted and struck through sections is given to an article written by Laurie Tarter, from the KnowResolve-The Detour Project.  I saw this list on their site and wrote it into my thoughts on spring cleaning.