May I whine just a bit tonight? Just a little bit!
It's hard taking care of a home all by yourself. This is not news to anyone, I'm sure, but today I was especially aware of it. I started out to do laundry and a bit of cleaning. One thing led to another and another and another. I don't really mind the lower back pain and the weariness. What I mind is that I hardly made a dent in all that COULD be done, not to mention that it will all have to be done again--and again--and again. It isn't as though Norris was an equal partner in home maintenance. But he DID do all the laundry and much of the grocery shopping in recent years, as well as cleaning litter boxes and lots of other things. And even when he didn't help much, he was always there to nag at or complain to or to offer me appropriate sympathy.

I know. I have so much to be grateful for: I have a home, for one thing; it's paid for, for another. I can walk and bend and lift and run up and down the basement stairs. And I am grateful. Really! But the yard still needs to be cleaned up, outdoor furniture and garden stuff taken inside, basement screaming for help, and on and on it goes.

Maybe what I'm experiencing is what is called "acedia". I wrote about Kathleen Norris's recent book on that subject in an earlier post. My hair stylist has a close friend who hates to be bothered with female grooming. So when she offered to cut off her friend's split ends, the friend said no, 'cause then it would just have to be cut again in six months! That's often how I've felt about housekeeping/home-keeping. I pay the car insurance this week; but in six months I'll have to pay it again. The taxes will have to be done in a couple more months, something I've done annually for almost 45 years.

I do notice, though, that when I focus on sharing with God about those I'm concerned about, both personally and globally, I don't seem to be bothered about being blessed with so much to take care of. And God helps me carry the burden of the loss of Norris. "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me. For My yoke is easy and My burden is Light."

Look, listen, laugh, love, breathe deeply, give thanks and pray for our new President, for all active military personnel and all veterans and for our needy world.

NOTE: I've listed my favorite blogs in case you'd like to check any of them out.