Today at work, we were talking about some of our preferences to go to bed with a clean kitchen. Tidy kitchen, dishes cleaned and put away. This is my preference. I have my dishwasher going as I go to bed so it will be ready for the next day. And I mostly get all my big pots or pans washed. If I am very tired or had a lot going on, I have been known to leave a large pan to wash in the morning. But the stove top and counter must be clean.

I remember my grandparents. Both sets of grandparents, actually, would set the breakfast table. When we, my sisters and I, slept over as girls, we would help get plates, glasses, and breakfast things organized and set on the table for the next day. When I am old (whatever that means, the goal post keeps moving back as I age), I want to do this too. I guess we don’t do this now, as we use up all our dishes during the day so they aren’t clean until the morning, plus it seems like a grandparent thing to do.

This made me think of the video a friend shared with me, in ‘early days’ of this covid19 pandemic. The ‘Make your Bed’ video also known as ‘How being in Quarantine can change the world.’ It starts out with a feeling of despair and defeat, but this guy hears the Make Your Bed speech: If you want to change the world, start out by making your bed. It reminds your that the ‘little things in life matter.’ These little things give you a sense of pride and accomplishment. It leads to doing many little things that all add up, or it gives you feelings of confidence and worth to go after a big thing. ‘If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right.’ I highly recommend watching this video.

Forming good habits such as this, having a system of keeping things organized and tidy all give these feelings of accomplishments. As inconsequential as they may seem, they are important. I also find if my house is organized, it helps my mind not to feel so cluttered. Things don’t become too overwhelming. Anything can be accomplished in manageable increments.

Sending Love,

Devon