Spring Cleaning
March 5, 2006 at 15:47 Back home in Virginia, as soon as it was warm enough, which was usually in early March, E and I would throw open the windows and spring clean as a team. I’d start with the kitchen and clean every appliance, everything that sat out on the counters, and the decorative plates above the cabinets. The cabinets themselves would be cleaned and then polished, the contents culled and rearranged.
Throughout the house, I‘d clean all the switch plates, doors, and grimy spots on the walls. I’d tote a toothbrush with me to get into dust packed crannies. E and I would take down all the glass covers from the light fixtures and run them through the dishwasher. E would steam clean the carpets and wash the windows, and I would dust the baseboards and wash curtains.
Soon the whole house would sparkle and brighten as the Southern sun streamed through the windows and those sweet spring breezes lifted the curtains off the sills. In the fall, we’d repeat the whole process again right before the holidays so that the house would be clean and cozy for the long nights ahead.
This week, despite our decidedly wintry weather, the spring cleaning bug bit me right on schedule, and once again I began the ritual of examining what we have, tossing what we don’t need, donating the excess to others, and then cleaning what’s left.
Today I had a moment of epiphany when I recognized that our twice-a-year deep-cleaning routines always coincide with the start of the Episcopal church’s penitential seasons, Lent in the spring and Advent in the winter. Penitential seasons last a few weeks and are times for self-examination and renewed commitment and discipline. In short, it’s a bit like spring cleaning for the soul—a time to discard what’s useless, sweep out the dust, and polish what remains so God’s light can shine in as well as reflect out.
One of the things that amazes me when we thoroughly clean the house is discovering how much junk and grime we live with and don’t even notice. The layer of dust on the electronics, the smudges on the toaster and kettle, the gunk in the microwave, the dust and hairballs under the furniture, the cobwebs dangling in the corners, the way the white curtains have gradually grayed—it’s all in the background until we commit to seeing things for what they are and changing them.
Our hearts are the same way. It isn’t until we break from our usual habits and pause and examine our lives that we see what needs to be done to bring out our best. So go ahead and do a little cleaning, inside and out. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
© 2006 Veronica McCabe Deschambault. All rights reserved.
March 5, 2006
Reader Comments (3)
It's amazing we schedule times to clean our homes, but not our hearts and minds.
Thanks so much for the reminder.