Letting things go...

(Source)

Today I wanted to share a story with y'all that I think about often. Just thinking about it helps me get in the mindset about how I can make my house to be our comfortable retreat (our castle-like home). 

When I first got married nine years ago, I remember my husband had certain "quirks" that would irritate the life out of me. Like leaving dirty laundry on floor, dishes on table, and things like that. (I know I might not be making him sound good here but he really is the most wonderful man!) One thing he did that really irritated me was after I made our bed, he would lay or sit on it in the middle of the day.

As silly as it sounds to me now, I remember getting so mad. I worked hard to make the bed "just right" then he would come afterwards and get a million wrinkles on it. I asked a friend around my moms age who had been married for many years if her husband ever did the same. She said he did. 

So I asked her "doesn't it bother you that he messes it up?" 

And she told me, "no not at all because I just pull the end of the bedspread a little and it's good as new. He was probably tired and it's his bed too."

Then it hit me. I had one of those a-ha moments. I could fix the bed a lot faster than nagging at him and then I could just forget about it. It would literally take two seconds out of my day to fix the bedspread! And my dear husband could relax for a moment.

I asked myself: Why was I sweating the small stuff? Why was I not letting him enjoy his house and bed? I was being way too much of a perfectionist. I was acting exactly opposite of how I want to be. I was nagging him over the dumbest of things. It really wasn't doing any of us any good. So I try to remember that story when something in the house happens that may irritate me. 

I would rather have him in my home with me making messes, than not having him at all. 
The people I share my house with are the people I love the most. They love me. It's not like they ever try to make more work for me. But now if i see something needs to be put up, instead of nagging my hard working hubby, I just do it myself. 

I would rather my family feel relaxed and comfy instead of worried about messing up something. So now if my husband or one of my kids get on the bed after I make it, I just jump right on too and chat with them. Letting go of stupid things really helps our house feel like the comfortable retreat castle-like home I want.