The other day my husband and I happened to catch the end of "The Family Feud" on TV and the question was asked of a hundred women, "what in their house did they think they could not stand to see one more day?" I knew right away! "Dirty Dishes!" and I was right!
I think I have spent the greatest majority of time in my life in front of a sink, doing dishes. One of my earliest jobs was standing at the kitchen counter near my mom, in our cherry red and bright white kitchen at Northview Terrace in Rochester, drying dishes.
There I stood with my sisters in my special apron, a gift from grandma Hobson. special little towel attached with a red and gold button to my apron. Drying dishes and handing them back to my mom. We, my sisters and I, used to fight to get more dishes to dry. What were we thinking!
I will let you in on a secret. I do not fight to get more dishes to dry anymore. Nope! As a matter of fact, I look for ways to have less dishes to wash. I have become very creative. you would be amazed what you can do with a coffee filter or paper towels. But that is a story for another day.
No this is about doing dishes. I want to say I hate this job, but I struggle with that...
I am not sure what I feel about this task anymore. You see, I pray when I am there at that sink. I shake off frustration when I am angry, I think and imagine . I plan meals, my day, and find a strange peace falling over me in the sound of the water running and the smell of the dish soap and the squeak of the clean dishes.
I only ever had a dishwasher for a very short period of time and was so used to cleaning dishes by hand that I hardly ever used it.
Sometimes I struggle to get to that sink...I think in my mind Why can't I just leave them there? Why can't somebody else do them? But Andy is not a dish washer. It's just not his thing.
Strangely my son will do them without me ever saying a word, and put them away! Go figure.
My sisters used to fight to get out of doing the dishes, I didn't. Not because they were bad and I was good. nope. I have a theory. I am pretty sure I am right.
I think dish cleaners, like runners, are either naturals, meaning they just do them. Or not. and hate it and don't.
The worst, worst , worst thing that ever happened to me was while I was doing the dishes.
But then, some of my best, most wonderful moments, and conversations, have happened while I was cleaning dishes with my sisters and brothers, my mom and dad, my kids, my grandkids, my friends...
Water fights, laughter, song, learning service, and experiencing humbleness. Life, set to the sound of running water and clinking dishes and silverware.
Life! All while cleaning dirty dishes....
It is a great conundrum for me. Do I hate it, or love it?
AM I meant to solve this question?
Is it wrong for me to wish you all a few dirty dishes, some soapy water, and a little time, maybe even a friend or loved one to help?
Oh well, I have a lot of time and dirty dishes to help me figure this out. The sink is calling.
