Several weeks ago, after returning from our visit to Don's parents for Holy Week, my dryer broke down. It was still turning, but it no longer had hot air.
I had about 8 loads of wash to do upon returning home, and no way to dry my clothes. Two loads dried fairly well by me laying them over chairs on the deck, but it was an arduous process and I could only dry a few things at a time. Eight loads would not all get done. So laundry piled up.
I do laundry twice a week - Monday's and Thursday's. I discovered the broken dryer on Monday but Don hadn't gotten it repaired yet by Thursday, so I had to forego laundry yet again. Over the weekend, Don was able to get it working again and I had a formidable task facing me for the following Monday.
I did 10 loads of wash - 1 of whites, 2 of lights, 2 of darks, 1 of reds, and one of something else, I don't remember what. Then I had a load of bath towels and a separate load of beach towels that I had used for a picnic. Last, I had a load of mats (maybe two loads of mats - that might be my extra load). Anyway, lots of wash. Then it all had to be folded, hung up, put away . . . By the time I got to bed Monday night, I was exhausted but felt pleased with how much had been accomplished.
Tuesday, I sprang out of bed, hollering to the children to strip their beds. I did 4 more loads of wash, all our bedding, then remade all the beds with clean sheets and washed a few more mats. I finished the last of my chores at 11:30 p.m. but, again, was pleased that the house was getting put back in order. I lay in bed, thinking about how much work had faced me Monday morning but how it was all now behind me. I had accomplished it all. I had met the task head-on, fiercely tackled hours and hours worth of monotonous, exhausting work, and I was proud of myself. I decided to take the day Wednesday to rest, spend with a friend and her child Daelyn's age, and make sure Daelyn got lots of Mommy-time.
I was still feeling quite smug on Thursday, despite being thrown back into the normal routine of laundry. At least it wasn't Mega-laundry. I got most of it out of the way, then laid down with Daelyn to settle him in for his nap. Suddenly, a thought rolled through my head. I latched onto it, expanding it and searching my memory banks to make sense of the random thought. Like a lightning bolt, clarity struck me. I was supposed to have spent Tuesday morning with a girlfriend who's on bedrest due to complications from pregnancy and help with her toddler while giving her a chance to visit with a friend. Not only had I forgotten, it was SO FAR forgotten that I didn't even remember when the initial thought hit. I had to pursue it before the memory clicked and, even then, it was THURSDAY.
Talk about embarrassed. I don't know how she managed. She has various friends coming to stay with her on different days, and that was the one for which I had volunteered. Somehow, the accomplishments of Monday and Tuesday were shameful, instead of inspiring. Guilt rather than satisfaction prevailed in my spirit.
I've since spoken with that friend and asked her forgiveness for forgetting about her need and placing my own before hers and my commitment to her. It certainly wasn't intentional - I was just caught up in a broken dryer and lots of laundry.
Doggone, though. Just when you start to feel good about what you've accomplished, you realize how short you fall routinely. God is the only perfection - I know that. I just wish I was more like Him.
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