Laundry

Airing out the laundry ... 

I picture a clothes line filled with freshly laundered clothes of assorted shapes and colors, gently billowing in the breeze with the warmth of the sun gradually drying the fabrics. For some reason, a full clothes line brings a sense of peace to my soul... Maybe it represents that there is order in the house - the time and care it took to launder the articles, carry them outside and hang them up one by one. Allowing for the hours to slowly slip by before you can take them down again. Once dry, pulling the clothes off the line and burying your face in the warm scent of natural freshness can be moments when time stands still. There is definitely something in the ritual of airing out laundry that can bring a deep sense of contentment… What was once dirty and un-wearable becomes fresh and clean.

I find interesting the correlation between clothing and our personal "laundry" that we carry around.  I was recently faced with an article of my life that was quite muddy and stained. This piece of clothing has been a part of my life for many,  many years (actually like one of my favorite sweat shirts) and it got ruined because of choices made that were not healthy for me to be around.  Having to look your “dirty laundry” in the eye can certainly send a cascade of emotions raging though your body.  However,  it is interesting the part that fear plays in exaggerating circumstances so situations can seem so out of control... I found that when faced with my article of dirty laundry the reality and truth of the situation were able to break through the cloud cover of doubt, anxiety and sadness that had been keeping me hostage. Today, with the strength of new found clarity, I can honestly say that I don't want that sweatshirt anymore.  I don’t dislike it, I just don’t want it.  By seeing this person face to face I gained the freedom to let go.

I have taken this article of clothing and separated it from my laundry.  It is no longer mine to care for.  I hope that it finds what it is so desperately searching for before the winds of chaos tear it to shreds and render it unusable.  As for me,  I can only gaze with tender thankfulness at my beautiful laundry hanging on the line of my life. Each article is a blessing - ones which I love to pull close, embrace and breathe in deeply the sweet smell of joy that each brings to my heart.  Airing my laundry, even dirty laundry, is as good metaphorically as it is in reality.  


Here's to clean laundry!


-Cheryl