[Lace Watkins]

There are days when most things are planned; where there is a list on a sheet of white paper, sitting alongside a heavy pen that checks off each imper
[See the full post at: Housekeeping: Metaphorical & Actual]

Discussion

[Rebecca McClinton]

Such a beautiful piece. Holding you tight, Lace, as your grief comes in all it’s unexpected waves and breath catching moments.

For me this piece highlights the whyte individualistic clenches that fight change, that cause me to grumble or cry when things don’t go as planned or cause me discomfort. I strive still far too often for outcome/completion, or job well done (ugh, cookie grabbing). Favoring pseudo-peace and predictability. All of these are entrapments that focus all the attention on me, on outcomes, on maintaining. And that’s the intention of that soup, one I can all too easily, harmfully, adopt as mine. It focuses not on community, and all too easily not on racial and social justice.

Slowing down, facing, welcoming and engaging with what is with hesed heart is where I must continue to strive to be.

[Kelsi Watters]

A few things came to mind as I read this post. I am sure they probably re a bit different angle. It may sound silly, but I found myself comparing toilets to white people – particularly, the white people in this space. I do not at all mean this in a derogatory way. I was just struck by the way that the toilet just sloshed a somewhat small amount of water, yet you had to do a lot of daamage control. It can be the same with white people like me, who slosh sometimes to a point where damage control is needed. Second, I’m struck by how, even with the mess that the toilet created, you did not blame her but continued to abide with her even as you had to do damage control that caaused you to have to put aside many meaningful tasks in what sounded like a busy day. Most people would have cursed the toilet but you met the situation with understanding and empathy even as your day was unexpectedly consumed by mold prevention. The toilet (metaphorically) needed to be seen. Also, you found meaning in the seemingly mundane, and when you find meaning in some thing that appears mundane it becomes less mundane and reveals its significance. In this way I think finding meaning in the mundane can be helpful both for prayer and for metaphorical housekeeping.A few things came to mind as I read this post. I am sure they probably re a bit different angle. It may sound silly, but I found myself comparing toilets to white people – particularly, the white people in this space. I do not at all mean this in a derogatory way. I was just struck by the way that the toilet just sloshed a somewhat small amount of water, yet you had to do a lot of daamage control. It can be the same with white people like me, who slosh sometimes to a point where damage control is needed. Second, I’m struck by how, even with the mess that the toilet created, you did not blame her but continued to abide with her even as you had to do damage control that caaused you to have to put aside many meaningful tasks in what sounded like a busy day. Most people would have cursed the toilet but you met the situation with understanding and empathy even as your day was unexpectedly consumed by mold prevention. The toilet (metaphorically) needed to be seen. Also, you found meaning in the seemingly mundane, and when you find meaning in some thing that appears mundane it becomes less mundane and reveals its significance. In this way I think finding meaning in the mundane can be helpful both for prayer and for metaphorical housekeeping.

[Author]

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