I have spent the last two days tidying up, catching up on tasks that get dropped down the to-do list as life gets busy, or as the house gets full; activities like laundry and cleaning out the fridge. This morning as I finished wiping the shelves, dumping out drawers, and restocking what made the cut to remain at that crisp, fingertip chilling 35 degrees, I felt a familiar sense of lightness, peace, and accomplishment. In true modern fashion I even sent off this photo and text…
And as I reveled in the cleanliness by the light of the fridge I was reminded of another time the same job gave me pause to think and I decided to share with you what I wrote then.
Epiphanies from the Kitchen
FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016
We cleaned the fridge today and I realized what a funny thing they are.
We guard them with our life, “Let me get that for you,” letting just select people in, until we have no choice. We hold on to jars of who-knows-what from who-knows-when for way too long. And when life is a mess the fridge definitely suffers; jammed full of junk or barren, sticky, icky, smelly, with moldy leftovers.
Today my fridge became a mirror and I didn’t love everything I saw.
I was holding on to things that no longer served me. So I put them in the trash!
I was feeling filmy. So I wiped it away clean.
I had the easy, temporary stuff up front, and the wholesome in back. So I rearranged!
I wish I had a before picture to share with you all, but I don’t. I can tell you that the state of my fridge this morning was directly reflective of the chaos of the last few weeks. (That is a discussion for another day.)
It was hard, but we pulled everything out and wiped it all clean, cast away the things that were no longer serving us, and let go of the junk, well most of it. 🙂
Now I know I am ready to start 2016 with an open heart, mind, and fridge. 😉
What are you dealing with right now? Take a good long look. Today is for fresh starts after all.
XOXO
I never did tell that story, I never had that discussion with an audience beyond the inner circle, the tribe that no longer had to ask to look inside my refrigerator and knows they can help themselves. What had proceeded was the first of many trips to a detox facility. On a day I was supposed to be decorating Christmas cookies with a friend and our kids, I was driving what felt like the longest stretch of highway, through pre-holiday traffic and an endless barrage of insults. As I drove I put on the armor of support, as my inner circle rallied around me, the same circle that stood with me this past Tuesday in Arlington National Cemetery as we laid those difficult days in their final resting place, as we honored the best parts of an American hero and let the rest settle quietly into peace.
It was those same people that reminded me over the last few weeks that it is ok that not everyone gets to help themselves to the sweet and salty that sustain me, to the ingredients that are stored at the ready to make something new and wonderful, or the leftovers that I just need a little more time to be ready to clear. It is those reminders, that support, that once again clothed me in the strength to endure. It is that support, grown from love, understanding, and acceptance, that covers me and my household in a blanket of peace, the kind that passes all understanding, and a sense of knowing that no matter what I have everything I will ever need. And it is that support that sometimes nudges me when it is time to clear the old, wipe the shelves clean, and bask in the new found light that space gives me to see where I need to nourish myself most.
All of this is to say Thank You to those of you who help yourself. You know who you are. You have fed me, carried me, and loved me through some of the most difficult moments a person can imagine. You have helped to mold and shape my new beginning with your presence, your words, and your love. You have empowered me to find my way beyond the mess and I am eternally grateful.
P.S. Clean your fridge and thank your tribe.
Finding Om in the OMG 