I like a clean house. There's just something about tidiness that feels good to me. I can't stand crumbs on my kitchen floor, dust bunnies under the beds or gathering in corners, nor do I like to find spots and debri on our lightly colored carpet upstairs. Such findings can send me into a ridiculous cleaning frenzy, if I can find time. As I was preparing for guests yesterday, I entered into one of those cleaning frenzies and worked hard to dust and sweep and vacuum and scrub. As I worked, I realized the fingerprints and smudges all over the windows throughout the house. I had gone quite some time without addressing them, and I wondered why they just didn't seem to bother me. Though they appeared unsightly, there was something about them that made me want to keep them right where they were, representing this precious, all too quickly passing stage in my life.
The fingerprints on window panes remain as memories of my 3 year old little boys running into my room much too early in the morning, throwing open the curtains and "showing" Jim and I that the sun had started to rise! The smudges remind me of hands, noses and little eyeballs glued to the window, watching storms pass overhead, or deer run through the yard. I remember how many times all 3 little ones have been lined up in the windows waving wildly to Daddy as he leaves for work in the morning. I don't want to forget.
I made my way downstairs and surveyed the mess of all sorts of smears on our front storm door. I pondered the many times my kids have waited there anxiously for friends to arrive, then seeing them off as they depart. I remember a morning of sipping hot cocoa with my boys on the front porch "watching" fall, and the hot chocolate mustaches that got pressed against the glass as they checked on the baby sleeping in his carseat inside the door. So many smears, so many memories.
There will be a day, I know, that fingerprint, nose and hot chocolate smudges will no longer grace the windows and doors throughout my home. That is a time and stage in my life that I cannot even dare to think about without tears forming in my eyes. So, for now, I will keep my Windex tucked away, and enjoy the little memories of life smeared throughout my home.
2 comments:
i am with NTM and am aquainted with your sister...she helped with with BFing my daughter when she was born. i am now expecting identical twin boys any day...and she told my mom about your blog. i have enjoyed several of your posts...and todays especially...since i had these exact thoughts today about my windows and glass doors...my precious daughter is almost 18 months old...and time just seems to fly by. i love having my house clean...but i also can't seem to clean up her beautiful smudges.
I love the thoughts of those little handprints and nose prints etc throughout your house. Too bad we can't keep them there forever. Like when you use a door jam to mark the height of your children over the years. Thanks for sharing.
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