Leisure talk: Cleaning the house

My first job every morning when I wake up is to clean the bed sheets, pillowcases, sometimes even tidy up my work area if I was late yesterday and didn’t clean it up properly, then I do exercise, brush my teeth, wash my face, eat breakfast… And cleaning, sweeping, and arranging can be interwoven throughout the day with other tasks. Seeing the house and rooms dirty and messy, I can’t rest assured to do anything. It’s like it’s in my blood. But somehow, the kids - children and students, even though they are around me and are constantly reminded and encouraged, still have the habit of being lazy and lazy to clean. Some people around me are the same.

I remember my grandfather - a retired teacher who was always strict, careful, and tidy. When I was a child, every time I came to visit, I was always timid because of the rules and regulations he set. Not only me, but the whole family, from my grandmother to my uncles, aunts, and other siblings, were all afraid of him. But thanks to that, the house was always clean, the garden was green, straight, and neat. Each season had its own food, the fish pond was bustling, the chickens and ducks were full, and we could eat whenever we wanted. Thanks to his discipline with the rules, slogans hung on trees, attached to doors, and those constant reminders, we learned the first lesson of being human - that is, neatness and order. He said, keeping everything around us in order would make life go smoothly. The older I get, the more I appreciate that simple but profound teaching.

After he passed away, cleaning out his small cupboard, I felt both sad and impressed because the stacks of books, newspapers, documents, and belongings that he had carefully and scientifically stored were still intact despite the years. And because he was always tidy, even though he was working hard, he still looked leisurely and relaxed. It turns out that cleaning does not make people busy but more leisurely.

Once, I asked a friend who studies psychology, what do you usually do when you are sad or unhappy? She said, when you are cleaning the house. The answer surprised me. I thought that when you are sad, there must be some big, complicated psychological solution. "No, when you have something unhappy or not as you wish, try cleaning it up. The results are amazing" - she advised.

Since then, I have cleaned the house with a cheerful, regular and focused attitude. And indeed, some sadness has slipped away somewhere when the work is finished. Many unpleasant things lightly fall like dust and rubbish on tables, chairs, floors, beds and wardrobes... the shine clearly reflects the eyes of the person who has just finished the work with a light heart. No wonder, there is a famous saying "Work - that is the best way for all states of mind". And I suddenly remembered what my son said after reading a story: "Mom, people say, you should not keep unpleasant things in your head, heavy things in your heart. Every day you have to clean up the trash for your soul".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhan-dam-don-nha-don-ca-tam-hon-18525072615425764.htm