Why do I feel attacked by today’s prompt; asking, “Where can you reduce clutter in your life?” and that is how I feel every day of my life. But living with a 11, 6- and 1-year-old in a townhouse not built for that one extra child, rooms get cluttered fast. Especially when the toddler follows behind you, helping you unclean all your hard work. But I know the clutter won’t last. My daughter will one day grow out of her 5 ft tall doll house and my youngest will no longer have a million toys thrown about. Their rooms will soon look like their older brother’s room, with dirty laundry piled up instead of their favorite toys scattered on the floor.
Growing up, there was a little wooden plaque in my parents’ kitchen. On it read a poem about a messy house. I remember reading it as a child, not grasping its meaning. However, now, as a parent myself, those words ring true to me. Now bear with me. I am trying to remember something I haven’t seen in over twenty years. I asked my mom to find it but she isn’t sure where it is. Most likely, halfway through writing this post, she’ll send me a picture and I’ll have to revise EVERYTHING.
So I shall wait….
Wait is over….
Okay, I lied. She found something else.
One is called House Blessing:
Bless the corners of this house
And be the Lintel blest
And bless the hearth and the board
And bless each place of rest.
Bless the door that opens wide
To stranger and to kin
Bless each crystal windowpane
That lets the starlight in.
Bless the rooftree overhead
And every sturdy wall:
Bless the love abounding here…
God bless us one and all.
The other is for the Recipe of a Happy Marriage:
3 cups Love 4 spoons of Hope
2 cups Warmth 2 spoons Tenderness
1 cup Forgiveness 1 pint Faith
1 cup Friends 1 Barrel Laughter
Combine love & warmth
Mix thoroughly with tenderness
Add forgiveness
Blend with friendship & hope
Sprinkle all remaining tenderness
Stir in faith and laughter
Bake with sunshine
Serve daily in generous helpings.
Well now, I am annoyed and I need to find the poem, clipping things so I can finish this post.
