When I read the challenge for this week was titled “Leave No Trace”, I immediately thought about the Boy Scouts. My son Adam was in the Boy Scouts several years ago and my husband Tim was an adult leader. In Boy Scouts, this term refers to the policy of leaving your camp ground as you found it or better. Even after many years of Boy Scout training, this lesson doesn’t seem to have translated into my husband or son doing this in our actual house. Maybe I would have better luck if I made them sleep in tents in the living room and offered neat and tidy badges as rewards. But I digress ..
For me, this week’s exercise seemed liked a piece of cake. I pick up all the time and have even been known to throw away papers that others really wanted to keep. (Maybe this should be my next mindfulness challenge!) The book asked me to pick a room to keep clean for a week, leaving no trace of my presence. It said that most people choose the kitchen or bathroom. I chose the master bathroom.
The master bathroom is a hub of activity in my house as all three of us require some time there each morning before going out the door. I am usually the last person out. As the last person out, I make sure that counter top items are put away and towels are hung up or put in the laundry bin. This week I slowed down my process to remember to wipe down the sink and any splashes on the mirror. I also straightened the rugs picking up after the dog who likes to rearrange them to his liking to lie on when keeping someone company in the bathroom. (Unfortunately I don’t think obedience school covers mindfulness training.)
My learning for this week was not on becoming more of a neat freak, but on slowing down and taking time to put items away with care. When I take time to do that, I notice that there is a beauty and simplicity in taking care of what the Universe has seen fit to give you. I feel comfort in knowing where things are and sense the relation between a clean, uncluttered surface and a clean, uncluttered mind. I remember to be grateful for all the many gifts in my life whether they take the form of a toothbrush, a husband, a son, or a furry dog.
(Picture of Said Offenders circa approximately 2005)
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