Sometimes You Just Have To Let Go....

All I could do was shake my head and decide if I should laugh or cry. It had been a long crazy day and this just seemed to top it all off. You wouldn’t think laundry would be this exciting, but it was.

It was an ordinary day, my laundry day. I usually enjoy a nice quiet house cleaning day. However today was slightly different. My teenage daughter was home from school and in an odd mood to help. Now in her defence I usually handle the family laundry and all the house cleaning duties, they can do it, but I just like my way better. Some would say I’m slightly controlling in the way I do things, but I just do them right.

Now Katie asked if she could mop the floors, and well I have a method. She rolled her eyes and smiled. She asked about the dishes, I hesitated and she laughed. She suggested dusting, apparently I made a face. She sighed and held back a giggle.

“Mommmmmm! I’m trying to help. You always say no one ever helps and now I’m trying to help and you won’t let me. Give me one thing to do, AND let me do it!”

Katie had a point, and as she stood there hands on hips and smiling, I knew she had a point and I needed to give in.

“Ok, ok point taken. How about the laundry. I guess you could handle the laundry.”

Katie smirked, spun on her heels enjoying her victory and headed down the hall before I could change my mind.

“Don’t forget to sort the clothes, and don’t put too much in each load....”

Katie turned around to face me and raised her hand. “Mom! I got this, just relax I know what to do. Why don’t you go have a coffee and put your feet up.”

I was about to say more but she went into my room to grab the laundry basket. I shrugged and headed to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee.

I heard her dump the clothes into the washer, I didn’t think she had really had time to sort them, but maybe she was just fast. I heard the machine start and I couldn’t hold back anymore.

“ Sweetie....Katie, you did sort those clothes right?”

“Mom! I got this...”

I tried to sit back and just drink my coffee, but my ears were waiting to hear her leave the laundry room. I will just peak, it won’t hurt to just double check. I heard Katie’s footsteps head down the hall, and I waited a few seconds.

I made my way towards the laundry room, trying not to make any noise. Ok so I know this is ridiculous, I might have more of a control issue then I thought, but here I am. Clothes are expensive and I just don’t want anything ruined.

“MOM! Where you going.”

I froze in my tracks. And then slowly turned around. BUSTED!

“Oh there you are sweetie.. I thought you called me...”

“You we’re going to check up on what I did, and you were going to lie to me...” she laughed shaking her head. “Go sit down and stay away from the laundry room.”

My shoulders slumped, I was caught and Busted. I walked back to the kitchen and sat down. I took a deep breath and let it go slowly. I started to chuckle to myself. I’m a grown woman and I was just caught and scolded like a child by my teenage daughter over laundry that I didn’t want to trust her with.

I need to let things go. So what if her method is different from mine. I really do need to relax more, the kids are older they need to have these skills when they leave home. I can’t control everything and it could be good to step back and hand over some duties.

I leaned back in my chair and took a long drink of coffee. I surveyed the kitchen and thought about the rest of the house. Perhaps a cleaning schedule with tasks assigned to all of my family. And maybe Katie and I could take turns handling the laundry every week... share the responsibility. This could work, everything could flow better.....

The buzzer went on the washer and I was about to call Katie when I heard her footsteps down the hall. I smiled at her attention to time, or she doesn’t want me to step in.

“Ohhhh NO NO NO! Crap Crap Crap!” Katie moaned.

I was in the laundry room before her last word was spoken. Her face was horrified as she tried to close the washer lid.

“Show me.”

She stepped back quietly. I opened the lid and looked inside.

“I guess that’s the reason you sort the clothes. I’m sorry mom.” She whispered.

I looked at her and pulled out one of my husband‘s t-shirts. It was now pink. It had been white. I pulled out his underwear, they too now a pretty shade of pink.

I looked at her again and slowly smiled. Her eyes had tears forming. A giggle escaped my lips, she looked at me confused.

“This happened to me too the first time I did laundry for my mom. And we are going to fix it the same way she did.”

“Bleach? How are we going to make everything white again? Dad is not going to like wearing pink t-shirts and underwear. Who knew new red socks turned everything pink, it was only one pair.”

Still snickering, “Put them in the dryer, then grab your coat.”

“Where are we going?”

“ We are going to the store to grab your dad some new clothes. And when he gets home, your going to show him his pink clothes and after he try’s to pretend it will be fine, you will give him the new ones. My mom did this to me, and it was a lesson I never forgot. And when we come back later and you start the laundry again, you won’t make the same mistake again.”

“Thanks Mom... And are you sure dad wouldn’t want a pink shirt?”