Do you remember the time when your mom forced you to do household chores? Haha, I vividly remember mine. She keeps on telling us that we needed the training so things would be easier when we become mothers. I remember one time I answered back, "I'll make sure I'll marry a man who's gonna be able to pay for a helper".
I got pregnant two (2) months after our wedding. The hormones overpowered me so Boyet, my husband, and I started to build a home in the house he purchased a few years back... just the two of us. I didn't realize what I'm putting myself into until the first week of just us, two, that I had to cook, clean the house, cook again for myself, do the laundry, fold clothes, iron, manage the clothes, and so on... I felt heavier and heavier month after month.
Thankfully, I got help when I gave birth... but not all the time. Well, that's another story.
Then I worked, resigned, worked again, resigned, then worked again, then finally... resigned, for good.
I've never felt so much relieved. I didn't have to worry about the kids being hurt with the helper or anything bad while me and Boyet were away from home. But the downside, the help I got left. The first few months were really difficult. Before, I was doing chores just for myself. Now I'm doing chores for my kids. Some people would think I have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder when they see how I hated dirt and clutter. But any mother would act the same to even the tiniest spot on the floor or smallest food particle on the bedroom floor, wouldn't they? Anyway, my point is, I maintain cleanliness and orderliness for my children. That's just it!
Day after day, I felt I needed to do a lot of things, important household chores, first before I could sit down in front of the computer for my Link Building job. Super exhausting tasks that are so mechanical I'm afraid they won't end. And so I made a list of all the small/great tasks I do that make me feel proud of myself once accomplished:
- Doing the laundry while neighbors are still asleep. I learned from a TV interview before that this widower who made sure to wash their clothes before the sun rises to give ample time for the water to drip. I forced myself to remember this.
- Seeing the newly washed clothes hanging under the sun. I so love it when the sun is shining and clothes are underneath to catch it's beam. I don't feel complete when there's no clothes to dry on a warm sunny day.
- Smelling the amazing fragrance of fresh clothes while ironing. Hmmm... this makes me so complete.
- Hanging fresh curtains.
- Cleaning the electric fan.
- Smelling the fresh linen on the bed
- Smelling that scent on the pillows after leaving them under the sun.
- Smelling my kid's armpit after playtime and finding out that it neither smelt sour nor anything.
- Attending the choir practice, on time. We live in Cavite. We attend our church in Quezon City. Our choir practice starts at 8:30am. :-)
- Dressing up my kids for school. Smelling their freshness, looking at their neat uniform and shoes.
- Fixing my kid's lunch while hearing my daughter's story of how her classmates found her yesterday's lunch good. Most of her classmates just buy at the school canteen, by the way, while others have biscuits and potato chips for break time.
- Successfully catching on camera Bea and Han's play time.
- Seeing perfect scores on my kids' exams.
- Play dress up with Bea. It won't be complete without a perfect eye make up and hair-do.
- Play wrestling with Hans and hear his giggles.
- Cook a simple dish then Hans says, "Ang sarap naman ng luto mo, mommy"
- Work-out after finishing all chores for the day.
- Keeping the toilet floor dry
- Sipping a cup of rich, flavorful chocolate
- Spend alone time with God.
These are my top 20. How about you, what simple things make you joyful
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