Through Fresh Eyes

Last week I had a friend come over. She was stopping by early in the morning and the house was a wreck. The night before I was tired and decided that instead of staying up outragously late cleaning, I would just wake up early and do it.

I woke up and did a cleaning spree. When she arrived, I opened the door, all flustered from just having put the last toy away and she says, "Your house is so clean and tidy."

I jumped back and said, er yelled, "You're kidding me right?" Now keep in mind that I confess, everything. So I was about to and then she said, "There are toys strewn everywhere in my house." I probably should've have said something to her right then and there, something like, "oh no dear, the doors are all closed because toys will fall on your head". Or "don't look under that rug because that is where Cole's dinner from 3 weeks ago probably is". Or don't turn over the couch cushions, this is the guest side. As soon as you leave I will turn them over back to the "family" side". But I didn't. I basked in the glory of her words, "Your house is clean" and I felt a little better about myself.

I'm not sure what she said after that. I just kept looking around my house wondering what she saw. Because all I saw was the floors that hadn't been mopped in a while, the rug that had food and drink stains on it, the curtain that had coke splatter on it, the dust on the entrance table, the smears on the glass study doors. I was shocked and in disbeleif because my vision of clean was so far from reality. It was nice to see things through fresh eyes. I was finally able to relax that day and feel that for once, I had done enough. So I sat down and I played with my child. Thanks D;)