The living room circa 1978
“What sort of home did you grow up in?” a #minsgame friend asked me after describing her mother’s hoarding tendencies and the clutter she lived with as a child.
A phrase popped into my head immediately. Mom described our house as “reasonably tidy” and I remember her making sure that it wasn’t cluttered or too messy. The living room got a once-over every day to straighten it up, and we were expected to to take our things (toys, books, sweaters) up to our rooms at bedtime. The dining table was never piled high with stuff like in some of my friends’ homes. We cleaned weekly, but tidied daily.
Mom set a good example that I have failed to follow. Not to say that I’m a complete slob, but I’m not as consistent as I could be about patrolling the house. After recalling the right phrase, I’ve been making an effort to put the house to rights every day because I value a “reasonably tidy” room.
Thanks, Mom, for being a role model in this and so many other ways. Happy 75th birthday!
