This morning, I was greeted by cold temperatures, an eerie fog, and a body doing its best to rebound from yesterday’s illness. At first, it seemed that I would spend another day under the covers feeling under the weather, but as the sun arrived to burn off the fog and warm up the day, I felt the fog that shrouded my body, mind, heart, and baby soul give way to renewed energy and light. With that, I set about to do some spring cleaning. Some people are called to greatness, I was called to clean.
I keep a very neat, clean, and organized home, and I clean and straighten up on a regular basis. That said, I still like to do a more thorough version of my usual cleaning regiment, and I have found that such in-depth cleaning usually coincides with special times of the year, such as the change of the seasons. On New Year’s Eve, as I described in another blog post, I cleaned the house from top to bottom, as I ushered out another year and prepared to welcome a new one. I like to start off the new year with a clean slate, literally and figuratively, so, cleaning has become part of my end-of-the-year ritual, along with identifying goals and dreams for my vision board. When my physical space is clean and clear, I find that my mind is, too, and vice versa. Today when the urge hit me to clean, though, I was somewhat taken aback, as I still wasn’t feeling completely up to par physically, and I had a stack of magazines and books that I intended to linger over today. Try as I might, the feeling would not go away.
At first, I tried to ignore this feeling, and when it persisted, I attempted to appease it by doing some basic household chores, such as doing laundry. By mid-morning, when the desire to clean had actually grown stronger, I threw off the covers and gave in to the cleaning siren that was beckoning to me. Not only does cleaning get rid of dirt and debris, it also gives me a sense of being in control and provides me with immediate results and gratification. I scrubbed, dusted, swept, vacuumed, rearranged, and reorganized until the entire house looked and smelled fresh, crisp, and clean. As I stepped back to admire my work, I felt a sense of pride and joy brought on by a job well done, and it felt very good indeed.
After I completed the last bit of cleaning, I decided to smudge my freshly cleaned home with sage, which is a practice shared with me by very wise and wonderful friend, mentor, and Wellbriety coach, Trude. It is such a meaningful practice to me as it symbolizes a spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical cleansing and healing, and it brings me profound peace and a genuine sense of well-being. The scent of sage lingers in the air as I write this blog post, and I just feel calm and happy.
Last week, spring officially arrived, and tomorrow, some people will celebrate Easter. Both events signify rebirth and renewal, and both are transitions from darkness into life. As this month comes to an end and a new one begins, may we all take time out to do whatever spring cleaning, whether it be of our physical space, the corners of our hearts, or the recesses of our minds, is necessary to shake off the cold of winter and bask in the warmth of spring.
That’s another story . . .
Categories: That's Another Story
That's Another Story 
There’s something about the smell of fresh herbs that is intensely calming.
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Sage is a definite favorite of mine, and I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog and respond.
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