Spring Cleaning

I've got to get this off my chest before I can move on to other things! What is the big deal about spring cleaning? Who started that anyway? I do not believe it is a biblical concept; at least, I don't see it in the Bible. When the pollen starts yellowing our cars, the birds start singing non-stop, and the lawn mowers are taken out of winter storage, somehow people get into the mode that the house must be cleaned from top to bottom!

Actually I've read the stories about how - back in the day (whatever that means) - women would take advantage of airing out quilts and other items that could not really be washed when the weather turned a little warm. Okay, I've got some quilts that I can put out on my clothesline......um....I don't have a clothesline. (When did that happen?) Okay, I could just drape them across our deck and let them "sun".

True confession time: I hate housecleaning whether it is winter, spring, summer, or fall (did that sound like James Taylor singing?). So, to say that I must be pressured by society's norm and turn my house inside out during my favorite season of the year seems cruel.

I would prefer to do this kind of aggressive cleaning in the lazy days of summer when humidity drives us to turn the a/c on and the music up. I could do it then. There's less responsibility for other things at that time. But, oh wait! Summer is to be more carefree and laid back. How can you do that if you are feeling pressured to clean, clean, clean?

Okay, I'll set my PDA for "spring cleaning" in the fall. Just when the cool, crisp winds blow and football and homecomings are sounds in the autumn nights! It's the perfect time. Humidity is down, I could open the windows, let the sunshine in, and turn on the music....and clean. But, oh wait! What about school camp? The opening of classes at the local university where I minister? The promise that I would put the finishing touches on the book I am writing? Fall is a perfect time for all that. How can I do all that and deal with the pressure of cleaning?

Well, that just leaves "old man winter" time. Why didn't I think of that before? When the breezes turn too brisk and we replace sweaters with coats, the sky is gray and the clouds omniously looking like snow (which usually never comes to where I live!). I'll build a fire, turn on upbeat music, and get to work on all those neglected spots that need cleaning. But, oh wait! There's Christmas to contend with. Baking, shopping, spending time with family, and reaching out to the needy. There's so much going on in the winter. Basketball, progressive dinners at the university, and final exams to help my daughter get through. Winter is to be a time of recharging our batteries. Somehow, it doesn't seem right to insert "spring cleaning" into such a special, dormant time!

Hmmm......well, I guess that means I'm pretty much booked up for the whole year. I'll try again next spring! Or maybe I'll just start on it today!