Some things are just worth it.
Phillip and I have been married for 9 years this coming August and we have lived together for, oh … lets call it 10.5 years. In the beginning – “playing house” and keeping things nice and neat was just part of my job. After all, it’s how I was raised. For as long as I can remember while growing up, we (meaning me and my siblings) scoured the bathrooms, vacuumed every room in the house, dusted every stick of furniture, did the laundry TWICE a week! Sure, we were a family of six but my mom and dad had four children that they trained very well to keep our house not only tidy, but clean. (yes, there is a difference). Cleaning up after evening meals was an ordeal…and you did not get away with just putting the leftovers in the fridge and setting the dirty dishes in the sink (Phillip). Oh no…it had to be spotless and I mean spotless for inspection. If it wasn’t right – we were called back into the kitchen to clean the stovetop properly or scour the sink after the dishes were washed, dried and put away. Anyway…I digress, but I just wanted to give you some background on how I was raised and even to this day as I clean my own kitchen, my mother’s words still ring in my ears – if you’re going to do it – you have to do it right.
So – back to present day - I have a nice home of my own that I share with my darling husband and our three 4-legged friends: Lola, Luke & Moose. Needless to say my house seems to always be in constant need of cleaning. We have a little plaque hanging in our entry way that says ”In our house, dog hair is considered a condiment” and although we hung it because we thought it was funny – sometimes it is just too true! With both of us working 50+ hours a week, Phillip and I were constantly struggling over when the house would get cleaned, and with my anal upbringing – it was a constant point of contention. Do we waste a beautiful Saturday inside cleaning or do we go golfing? You probably guessed that golfing took priority 9 times out of ten, and God help Phillip on the days he left me home to clean the house by myself while he chased that little white ball around the golf course for hours on end.
Finally about six months ago after several months of Phillip listening to me complain about “why am I the only one who has to clean up around here” – we hired a housekeeper. Oh-my-God….I can’t believe it took us this long. There is nothing quite like the feeling of coming home after a long day at the office and walking into your own home that has just been polished and cleaned. It’s pure bliss.
Some things (like housekeepers) are just worth it.