It doesn’t matter how hard life can be, there will always be laundry to wash and fold. Life goes on, all the mundane activities still need to be done. 

Sometimes I just want to scream at the washing basket and say “look at everything that’s going on in my life! I can’t deal with you as well!”. 

And then other times I look at the washing basket full of clean clothes to be sorted, and there is a comfort in it; knowing that some things will never change.

Most of the time I think ‘I wish I didn’t have to do the laundry; the washing, hanging out to dry, ironing and folding and putting it away. It’s exhausting. My energy is limited’. 

Occasionally, after going through a tough spell, I’ll be so glad just to be able to do something as simple and normal as laundry. How grateful I am that I can do it myself without assistance. A little bit of independence and accomplishment. 

I may just be talking about the laundry as an example, but it applies to everything.

Our perspective changes minute by minute depending on what circumstances and experiences have influenced that moment. Each moment we may be overwhelmed, or comforted, or preferring it to be different, or grateful for what is happening to us.  

The mundane tasks for our everyday needs are what gives us routine and stability when everything around us can be changing. They are the start of a foundation for the activities in our everyday lives, our independence and our accomplishments. 

When we are in high stress circumstances, it is comforting to do something basic and easy, that doesn’t require much thought, planning or increased effort. It is something we can rely on to be continuous and stable. 

As anyone with a chronic condition will know, when a flare up happens, it is the mundane everyday tasks that can be indicators of how bad it is. Once the activities of work and play are removed from daily life, how many of the personal care and household tasks can still be managed? As someone who insists on doing everything myself, it can be a sign that I’m not in good shape when I start asking for help for the tasks that I usually cling to. 

When I’m feeling my usual ‘normal’ or in a state of somewhat stable condition, it’s the little every day tasks and chores that make life feel as though it is normal. As though nothing is problematic and I’m doing the same things as everyone else. Well, until the energy runs out! 

Take heart, Readers. I’ll keep the light on.

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