I'm not going to lie; this news report startled me a little, considering I pretty much have a Windex bottle attached to my right hand at all times. It is like an accessory to me—my watch and my Windex bottle. In fact, the rest of the family is familiar with that yummy Windex taste and I think have actually grown to like it. Many nights, being the multi-tasker that I am, I would be Windexing one of the places at the table where someone had just finished eating, even while the other one was still finishing up, and I would hear, "Mom, you just sprayed Windex on my food." I would respond with, "Oh, a little Windex never hurt anyone; this particular Windex even has a little vinegar in it, so it can't be that bad for you." It hasn't appeared to stunt any of their growths, especially the boys, and they appear to be three very normal, well-rounded kids, as long as you overlook the occasional twitch and loss of hair….
I was raised by both a mother and a grandmother who were obsessed with cleaning. My grandmother did spring cleaning year round. Every occasion was a reason to spring clean. I remember when we would be taking down the Christmas decorations and Virgie, my maternal grandmother, who lived in the house with us would say, "Let's spring clean before we put the furniture back, and let's straighten the attic before we put the decorations back up there." Even at an early age, before I was required to help, I thought it was odd to do your spring cleaning in December. My mom would start taking down the Christmas tree at midnight on Christmas Day! Yes sir, at one minute after midnight, that holiday was over, donezo, finished, and it was time for the tree to come down.
For years my poor dad would try to argue that many people kept their tree up for "the holidays," which included New Years. My mother would look at him as if he had lost his mind. She would say, "What? Who leaves the tree up that long? Not us!" The Christmas holiday for us was… see what Santa brought; slam down some eggnog; visit with family members you only see once a year; and then, wham bam, take the tree down! My mom would be so excited when everyone wanted to help. I think to this day she has no idea how we all dreaded taking that tree down, but to her, it was a necessity. So down it came and spring cleaning would begin!
This involved moving all the furniture to the center of the room, cleaning baseboards, window sills, ceiling fan blades, and on and on and on. Now, my mother really wasn't the "Mommy Dearest" type, but she did love to see vacuum cleaner marks on a rug. So, as you can imagine, a good bit of that temperament was instilled in me and my only sibling, a younger brother. I can remember my brother actually telling my husband one time that the bathroom garbage can was not the place for an empty Doritos bag. He proceeded to call me and inform me that my husband needed to learn what trash went in the kitchen garbage can and what trash went in the bathroom garbage can. And people think we have it all together!
My husband came in and looked at me and said, "Your family has issues."
Of course I responded with, "What was your first clue?"
He continued, "Your brother is as bad as you are. He really got mad at me because I didn't put the appropriate trash in the appropriate can."
I just laughed and said, "You can thank my mom for that."
Thankfully, one policy I have not adopted is that of my grandmother's deciding to open all the windows whenever she wanted the house to have a fresh air smell, even when it was January and twenty degrees outside! Instead, I walk around and spray the house with Febreze and it gives the same fresh air effect; but that brings me right back around to that carcinogenic thing!
SJ tells me there are all kinds of nontoxic products I can buy. He also looked at me and said—and I quote—"Have you ever just tried cleaning with hot water?" What a smart kid. That seems like a pretty simple thing. Wish I had thought of it myself. So this has all given me cause to rethink my cleaning products and procedures. I might have to have therapy over cutting back on my Windex usage, but if my family's health is at stake, I'm willing to endure a few counseling sessions.
I have decided to apply this same spring cleaning approach to my life as well in regard to helping others.
Spring especially reminds me of the chance for renewal. It is my favorite season of the year, not because my grandmother or my mom taught me to be excited to clean, but because it provides a fresh start to life's challenges. Each new day we are presented with the opportunity to shed the negative build up from the previous day and start fresh. It's a time for magical moments when beautiful things blossom from what seemed like hopelessness. The trees are budding, the daffodils are popping up, and the birds are beginning to chirp. Hopefully, this spring season, we become the budding tree to someone who needs inspiration.
We all have the ability to help someone else in some form or fashion. Trying to do what's right is something that should never change, regardless of the time or place, but spring does seem like a good time to house clean the body and soul as well as our living room. It's a time we can sweep the front porch of our minds, knock down the cobwebs in the brain, sharpen our thoughts. People often ask me for advice or for my opinion. Many times I don't think they really want an answer as much as they just want me to listen to their story. I try to engage with them without looking like the bobblehead doll on SJ's dresser. I don't want to be a bobblehead on automatic, out of touch, insincere. No, I want to be genuine, the kind of human being who emotionally invests in others. Really connecting can truly make a difference to someone else, just like the flower that pops up from the cold hard ground to brighten someone's day. Or the chirping bird who sings of hope. Hope is such a vital necessity in life. And that brings me to one of my favorite holidays of the year…
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