AnchorMommy

I have a living room again!

June 17, 2009 by Shannon

While I was working, some things around our house just didn’t get done. As in, didn’t get done for MONTHS. We certainly didn’t live in squalor or anything — we managed to handle the basics. But I’ll be honest. I pretended my living room didn’t exist.

It was just easier that way. Honestly, it’s a miracle the one lone houseplant in there survived my utter inattention. Every time I stepped in the room to water it, I looked around and felt horrible. To my left, an inch of dust on my glass coffee table. To my right, some of the dining table decor from Christmas. Christmas! Five months AFTER the holiday. Pathetic. So every week, I went in, dumped water on the plant and tried not to look around again on my way out. One of the most loved rooms in our house had become the most embarrassing. 

I wasn’t raised to live amidst such slobbishness. And to make things worse, the greenery I went in there to water used to be part of a plant my grandmother owned more than 30 years ago. To me, its weary-looking leaves were a subtle reminder that certain women in my family don’t seem to struggle to do something as simple as lift a dustrag or water a plant. Yet week after week, I simply looked at the disarray (which included more than one pile of cat puke — ick) and walked away.

Last week, I knew I was out of excuses. So I scared out the dust bunnies, collected the cat puke, and tried to figure out where the heck I keep my Christmas decor anyway. Lo and behold — I have a living room again! Finally, I’m not mortified when a guest so much as glances in the room’s direction. Ahhh, sweet relief.

Now for the computer room. It’s gonna take much more than cleaning spray and a roll of paper towels to tackle that beast. If you don’t hear from me for a few days, please call the authorities. I may need professional help to get out of there alive.