As you enter, you take a deep breath. That open-window freshness permeates every room. Ah, the smell of clean! Everyone loves a clean house, even those who think they don’t. Someone has made a surprise visit here. The furniture and light fixtures that were dusty are now shiny. Clothes, trash, and dirty dishes have been picked up off the floor and put in their proper places. The floors themselves have been vacuumed or swept and mopped. You can walk bare foot without tracking pet hair from room to room. All of the beds have been made with fresh linen and extra decorative pillows. The laundry has been washed, folded, and put away. The sinks and tubs are shiny clean. The ceiling fans are revolving a little lighter now – less dust, you know. You open the refrigerator door and to your amazement, you can see all the way to the back; it has been de-cluttered and no more smell, to boot. The stove and microwave are inviting you to come, make dinner. You can see clearly now, as the windows have been cleaned inside and out. As you look out, you notice how beautiful your neighbor’s flowers are!
Do you need to ‘clean house’ in your relationships?
The backstabbing so-called friend who needs to mind her own business. The spouse of which you have become a co-dependent. The mother-in-law who talks too much. The wayward teen who causes havoc and turmoil throughout the house.
Wouldn’t it be refreshing and ‘ah, the smell of clean’ if you were to finally receive these words of appreciation from Hearts-R-Mending from your now grown-up teen:
You were right in all the things you said
But I just couldn’t see it at the time
And now that I’ve changed my ways
I feel that I’ll be just fine.
Thank you for continuing to love me
Despite all the mean things I did
And I’m working to get on with my life
Since I’m a grown-up and no longer a kid.