My House Is Not Spic and Span

I used to babysit a lot when I was a preteen and teenager. I loved the kids, loving playing house, and the money wasn't too bad, either. We lived up the street from a family with four kids. I spent a lot of time with them babysitting, seeing them on the street, and watching them come down to my house to visit with my parents long after I had left for college.

In their downstairs bathroom hung a needlepoint quote that I still remember. I can't recall the whole poem, but the phrase that lingers in my mind is "Cleaning the House while the children are growing is like shoveling the walk before it's stop snowing.".

As I prepare my house for guests this week, I've often thought if I could just ship my three little ones off for a few days this house would look great. It would get clean and stay clean.

I'm trying to get a new perspective on this, however, in light of the memory of that needlepoint. You see the lovely mom who lived there is no longer here. Ann died of cancer 11 years ago and left a family without a mother, wife, or grandmother to be.

She lived that phrase. She focused on the important things; her children and family. Her house was clean and picked up, but I never saw her stressed or frantic trying to get it perfect.

The void she left in the lives of her children, especially her 3 daughters, is deep. Just this month, she would have welcomed another grandson into her family. She would have loved them to pieces. I wish she could have been here.

Last night I watched a movie from Hallmark Channel that I had DVR'd. It was called Home For Christmas about a mother who died years before, but returns to earth for one day to celebrate Christmas with her family.

The movie made me question who I would wish to have one more day with here on earth. Would I wish to rock the baby we lost 13 years ago? Would I want one more afternoon on the front porch with my grandfather and his homemade lemonade?

While I miss those who have gone before me to heaven, I think the person I most wish I could spend one more day with is my neighbor and mentor Ann. The mother who successfully raised four children and who created an environment of love and respect among the girls in her family that today they are still the best of friends. Who knew that the house didn't matter the children did.

I wish I could ask for her advice for the upcoming teenage years. I wish that I could share with her the fantastic job she did with her family. I'd ask if she ever thought she was treading water and not making progress with her kids.

My house will not be spic and span tomorrow for the Thanksgiving company. Children live here and they create mess. However, they also bring tremendous joy, spirit, and hope to a family and I wouldn't trade the "mess" for anything.

Happy Thanksgiving.