The other day as I was standing at the sink washing my dishes and solving the problems of the universe, making lists of various important and non-important plans, projects and just taking the opportunity to send still and think.*sigh*
For a fairly long time, as far as dish washing goes...
I want you to now right up front, I am not the brightest bulb in the box, but I'm generally pretty quick on picking things up.
Generally.
Well as thoughts tend to do, I started down that well worn path in my mind to 'home', and doing dishes, or better yet, trying to get out of doing dishes.
I seem to recall I was never the 'chief bottle washer' to often, instead I was a pretty darn good 'dryer'.
Sometimes Dad would wash and we kids would dry and put away.
We had a system of washing. Starting out with silverware in the bottom to soak, the first to be washed was the glasses. Next came bowls and plates. Last came pots and pans.
Every single time I would think there couldn't possibly be any more dishes, because I was sure I had dried, every dish. In. The. World. He would smile and reach down to the bottom and pull up the silverware I seemed to forget every single time.
ps Honey does them the same way Dad did, and I still haven't learned.
Well after we were done washing, drying and putting away the dishes, the job of the washer wasn't finished until the counter tops and stove had all been wiped down and the floor swept.
This has been our dish washing ritual for longer than I can remember.
So the other day as I stood at the sink entertaining myself with 'the good old days', the memories of my childhood filling in the longer than usually amount of time to complete my now, lone chore. As I rehearsed my timeless routine it dawned on me...
I don't ever recall being asked to 'clean the kitchen', while I lived at home.
As this thought struck me: it also struck me that I am now fifty three years old, my Mom has been gone to the other side of life for seven years now. I can still 'hear' her gentle reminders of the correct way to accomplish this chore, and as I was ticking off the list, it dawned on me that she had pulled a fast one on, at least me.
She never had to have me 'clean the kitchen'. Only 'do the 'dishes'...
The only thing is...the way she taught us to do the dishes, WAS to clean the kitchen!
I have known this in the back of my mind, forever.
I guess it just took until now to work it's way to the front.
Boy do I feel silly now...but my kitchen is clean!
