Mundane Activities . . .

Okay, I've put it off long enough. I decided this morning that since it was rainy and overcast for the third day in a row, I wouldn't allow myself to stare at the pile of ironing, which now reaches up to my knee, any longer. No matter how hard I've tried, I cannot go the entire summer without ironing

I HATE IRONING. I'm completely envious of my friends who send all their husbands shirts to the cleaners and come home with them in slippery bags on cheap wire hangers. I want cheap wire hangers! Maybe what I really want is for the hubby to look horrible in button-down shirts - but he doesn't! In fact, he looks fabulous in them and they make up 98.8% of his shirt wardrobe.

The clean, but wrinkled shirts sit in a basket on my closet floor and taunt me every time I go in there. I obviously avoid the closet whenever possible - the exception being to go in a pile more shirts on top of other shirts. The problem is compounded by the fact that my two little men have shirts of their own that need ironing. Darn you cute boy clothes! Why do I buy you?

The guilt comes when the Hubby (who in all seriousness is THE hardest worker I know) wakes up 15 minutes earlier than 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning to iron his own shirt for his way too early church meetings. I hate myself for putting the ironing off for so long and depriving him of 15 extra minutes of sleep.

Plagued by these thoughts and the ever growing pile, I faced it head on today, and even took a picture at the HALFWAY point. Most of the Hubby's shirts are last because they are the hardest. After all was said and done, I counted 32 pieces of ironing. And that was after I decided I wouldn't touch the six table cloths, 3 sets of napkins, and a few long sleeved shirts of mine that I know I won't need for at least a month longer.

When I was finished, a quote from the Ensign came to mind that I read recently on my friend Tracie's blog. I thought it was fitting:

"Mundane activities can have a higher purpose and must not be disregarded; they give us opportunities to develop and practice character virtues and ethical behavior. By doing these everyday activities, we can learn about moral truths and practice honesty, patience, and brotherly kindness. Everyday work and recreation in the home provide rich contexts for children and adults to make choices and learn from them."

As for what I can learn from the ironing - I think it is that I can do something I don't like and feel pretty good about it because I know it is benefitting my sweet Hubby. This mundane activity also gave me a chance to have my kids sit at my feet and watch High School Musical 2 for the third time! A little dose of that deliciously cute Zac Efron made the ironing fly by in a flash! :)