Cleaning works.

Today in my teenage angst, cleaning worked.

I had this roommate who was a cleaner. She didn't clean because she liked cleanliness. I truly believe that that was just a byproduct of her habit. She cleaned, rather, because she liked the order that cleanliness provided. She didn't require us to adopt the same habit, though our lack of any cleansing habit was a bit of a strain; the cleaning was mostly for her.

Today, I understand this habit. I figured it out the other day when I was babysitting four children. It was the first time I'd been with them and four was the most I'd ever taken care of at once. I swept the dining room, cleaned the kitchen, took out the trash and tidied the living room in order to keep my sanity. Last year, if I was ever in a state of panic or on the verge of tears, I'd take myself home and do the dishes. Cleaning works.

Cleaning provides the order and stability that many of us need to keep our mental and emotional state in check. It also provides us with a better state of living, approved by greater north america. I get it. Next time you get off the phone after a frustrating conversation or come home after a disgusting day at work or have too many children to keep track of without fear of one dying, clean; for happier and healthier you will be. 


PS. Here's a Moncton pic. 
Or rather, PEI.