The past couple of weeks at work, I have taken on some cleaning out and organizing projects, starting when I helped clean the outside janitor's closet, which had unfortunately become infested with American cockroaches, and then moved on to parts of the administration building (which is actual a three bedroom house converted into our offices and kitchen facilities) in which I work and where the meals for the kids are cooked and prepared. I started this much larger project because we attracted a couple of rats friends recently. The rats have been caught and the roaches appear to have scattered to unknown parts, but I am still cleaning and organizing. I get a little compulsive about completing projects I have started, and I really felt like there was not point to working on one section or part of the building and not the rest, so I've taken in upon myself to sort through all the materials in the three offices (including mine) housed here and determine whether or not we need to keep them and then reorganize what we do need, so that everyone knows what is where and will hopefully use it more frequently in the future. It's been quite a job, so far, taking up most of my day both Saturday and today, but it looks so much better, and I know more now concerning exactly what we have and don't have. This helps when I am tasked with ordering new materials for our teacher and parent library, and it helps me with my training duties, so I am aware of what resources I have to utilize and share with our staff for professional development as well as for the parents who ask me for information about their child's development or other parenting questions. This is the kind of obsession that's useful and important for all of us to do at one point or another in our homes and offices. Things pile up and cleaning out and organizing ourselves and the space around us makes it more pleasant to come to work or home after work, and it brings order out of what might otherwise feel like chaos.
On that note, I do not feel so great about my yard. It causes me concern because it is an incomplete project I have left unfinished for way too long, so in addition to obsessing over my office space, I am now obsessing over my yard, spending another 2 hours this evening it in, like last night, pulling weeds, moving gravel and rocks, and generally attempting to make it look like I care about it. :-) Why the obsessions lately? Well, maybe it's because it keeps my mind off of not being able to spend this time with my Mr. Gant during his eye surgery and early recovery days. Maybe it's because I have spent way too much time in the first 6 months of my new job trying to find information I should have at my fingertips, but finally find buried somewhere between mounds of other stuff I don't even know if I need. Mostly, I think it brings order to the chaos and peace to my life in the most tangible and visible of ways. And personally, I am thankful for the distraction and change of pace as my mind is filled with all sorts of thoughts lately about my son's eyesight, the future of this island and my job, weddings, potential summer plans, and so much more, so if weeding is what takes my mind off of my concerns and keeps me sane for now, then I'll add weeding to my list of therapeutic cleaning tasks and enjoy it as much as washing dishes :) You find it hard to believe that I like washing dishes and pulling weeds, right? Well, I really do...and I can't be the only one...c'mon share those odd therapeutic chores or activities that really help you keep the stress levels down.
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