I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to get trapped in an endless cycle of laundry. But somehow, wierdly when you think about it. We are stuck in a relationship with laundry. Its always there waiting for me to get home. Just when I think its Friday, I have finished my work week, bills are paid, house is clean. I take a look around to feel accomplished and there it is a pile of laundry, staring at me like a needy annonying ex who just can’t take a hint. I try ignore it. I pretend it’s not there. But the more I avoid it, the bigger the pile grows. Also, who ever thought of putting the washer and dryer down stairs, far away from where the clothes get taken off or even put away. I spend more time hauling my dirty clothes down stairs and clean clothes up stairs then I do wearing them. Fact this laundry is handled more then needed.
Laundry demands so much of me. My time, my energy, my sanity at times. There’s no winning. There’s no break. It just keeps piling up. Folding that last shirt, putting the last pair of socks in the drawer, I always think this is it! A brief moment of satisfaction when all laundry is done. I did it. I conquered laundry. I am free. But no. It was a lie. There is always more. More hiding in the bathroom or in my teenager’s hamper. Then how is it that it never fails you end up with no mates to socks? Laundry has me questioning. Where did all the socks go? Why is there only one of each pair?
The commitment to laundry..I start the process with good intentions. I throw everything in the washer, feeling hopeful. But by the time I get to folding the 2nd or maybe 3rd load, I have no energy left, so I leave it in the dryer, witch another load sits in the washer till motivation might come back again, and this seems to be a day or 2 later and I have to fluff the dryer and rewash the clothes in the washer. I swear I’ll do better next time. I’ll fold it right away. But I won’t. We all know I won’t. Laundry is a one sided relationship. I wash it. I dry it. I fold it. I trudge the stairs to put it away only for the cycle to start all over again. The relationship can be exhausting. Who says in your house thanks for doing the laundry? Laundry never appreciates me, no matter how much love and detergent I pour into it. I dream about a life without laundry. A life where I never have to wash laundry, but that’s just a fantasy. The truth is, I will be doing laundry for the rest of my life. There is no escape. There is no way out. This is forever, unless I win the lottery!
Like any toxic relationship, I know I should walk away. But I can’t, this is reality. My only option is to accept my fate, be thankful that I am able to even wash my clothes today.
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