I am having guests stay at my house this weekend. My friend Pea and her two daughters are coming into town for a few days. After offering to have her stay at my home, I looked around at it and thought, "I've got three days to do two weeks of house cleaning." So, I started with some of the main areas that should be cleaned: bathrooms, living room, my daughters' bedrooms. Then, I looked around some more. My kitchen is about 2/3 of the way done from our recent self-remodel. My Christmas tree is still up and decorated in the family room. A pillow on my couch has a hole in it. I realized I can't get all this fixed and done by 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. I spoke to my friend this morning to ask when they were heading to town. She said she was not exactly sure, but she would text me when they hit the road (it is about a 3 hour drive). When I told her, "You know, my house just is what it is..." Her response was, "I don't care." Then, it hit me that she really doesn't care. She does not care at all. She does not care about the kitchen or the Christmas tree. That pillow with the hole can just be flipped over for the weekend. Pea is one of those people that although she has the cleanest house I have ever seen, all she wants is to spend time with friends and watch our girls laugh and play. She is always the most gracious host when we come to visit her home. At our last visit, she even stocked her freezer with my favorite brand of ice cream that is not available where I live.
We all need people in our lives who care about us. People who are genuinely concerned with our happiness, health, and well-being. Sometimes the best way to care is to not care about things. With as many sick days as I have had over the last six months, I got used to people coming into my house without running around and straightening it before I opened the door. People would come to my house and straighten it up for me (thanks, Mom). I do not have to be Martha Stewart for others to feel comfortable and cozy in my home. I do not have to be Julia Child for someone to love my cooking.
Perfection is not my thing. Thank God I have people in my life that just don't care.
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