This write-up is kinda different from my regular writing. Before I started writing I thought to myself "who would wanna read something about dishes." However, I decided to write it anyway... lol.
There is something about doing the dishes that is relaxing. I love washing dishes. I love the simple yet important task of washing plates. The first time I said that out loud to myself it was bizarre because I never actually realized I loved doing dishes. I recently discovered my love for doing dishes.
It was a beautiful Monday morning and I was not going to work because I had taken some days off work to spend time with my sister and my little nephew. That morning mum said the baby bottle sterilizer needed to be washed. Before I could do that I needed to do all the dishes in the sink so I could have enough space to wash the sterilizer. Bit by bit I piled all the dishes up in one of the sink while I washed in the other. In no time all the dishes were completely washed and dried. By the time I was through with all the dishes and the baby sterilizer I felt a wave of pleasure sweep through me. I was having a beautiful morning already because I enjoyed every morsel of what I had just done.
Yeah, I love washing dishes. It’s engaging, to me, because I make it so. While it is possible to wash dishes without paying attention to what you are doing, letting the mind drift where it will, my love for it comes from the times when I do it consciously. It is surprising when I hear people say doing dishes is unpleasant. To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren’t doing them. Once you are standing in front of the sink with your wristwatch off, your sleeves rolled up, your hair pulled back in a pony tail and your hands in the water, it is really quite pleasant. I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, the soap, and each movement of my hands . . . the dishes themselves and the fact that I am here washing them is beautiful. I must confess it takes me a bit longer to do the dishes sometimes, but I enjoy every bit of it. Washing the dishes with patience and attention is a perfect opportunity to develop a love affair with the simple things of everyday life.
Occasionally the mundane things are the things that bring us the most pleasure. Things we actually take as insignificant or unimportant are the little things we need to remind us of the simplicity of life. It gives us the chance to take a little peek into the tiny but enormous world of simply noticing what is around you, and engaging fully with it.
