A Reason for Spring Cleaning
Posted on May 2, 2016 by bob in EdNote
Just when I thought I couldn’t stand it anymore I got the call. Just when the garage looked like we’d taken on a family of squatters, when unkept flower beds made me long for a cemented yard, when dried beans were the most enticing item in our pantry, I was, thankfully, served notice. Out-of-town company was on the way.
Does wholesale cleanup happen any other way? Not in our house. Though we’re resolute about “picking-up” and “straightening-up,” there’s nothing like the threat of visitors from “off” to make the garbage can beg for relief.
In this case it was a welcomed call from my California brother and sister-in-law that set off our internal alarm. Thrilled to have them come to stay for a week, there was, nonetheless, lots to do.
An overnight stay requires dusting, a jaunt to the grocery, and a thorough but quick bathroom once-over. A weeklong visit is another thing entirely. Family or no, these are guests who use your closets, innocently check out your bookshelves for reading material, peruse the contents of your refrigerator for a bite to eat.
Far beyond vanity, it’s about being hospitable and honoring your visitors. On that subject I learned from the best. Though there were distinct differences in the family I was raised in and the family I married into, both sets of parents were expert hosts. Houseguests never felt uncomfortable, unhappy, or uncared for.
With our work cut out for us, Bob started with the garage, while I got to work in the kitchen. He hauled away box after box of items we’d needlessly salvaged from our family homes or “stored” for our daughter through her many moves, both during and after college. As he worked outside, I rolled and shaped biscotti, made chicken pies, and baked layer cakes to freeze.
Back inside and a day later, Bob took to cleaning out the toy box. Really? How could this much “stuff” result from those two little innocent darlings? Unwilling to part with anything our grandkids might cherish, Bob sorted and shifted storage areas rather than toss the toys. Meanwhile, my kitchen chores continued. This time, Greek pastichio and spanakopita. After all, who wants to stay in the kitchen while company’s here?
When it came to yard work we threw in the towel, calling lawn/landscape experts for backup support. These yard magicians (I’ll gladly refer them) manicured our lawn, trimmed hedges, weeded beds, and laid down straw. The work they did was nothing short of masterful though I’m confident an entire pine tree forest was sacrificed in service to our cause.
A few chores still beg for our attention but they’re not the big ticket items. As we coast towards our guests’ arrival we’re anticipating the fun of reuniting with people we love, eating and laughing together, and introducing new generations to the unique personalities, traditions and stories that are the bedrock of our family tribe.
My brother couldn’t care less whether we straightened the pantry or the toys were put away. And orderliness is certainly no mandate for the gathering we’re expecting. But it’s our way of being hospitable, of greeting a brother from whom we’re separated by far too many miles, and of saying, “Welcome, home.”
Sandra Polizos, Editor
primeeditor@gmail.com
