There Will Still Be Dust on the Furniture

It’s been a busy week. Or, I should say it’s been a busy few weeks, a busy month, a busy year? I’m feeling behind. Or I should say I’m feeling stressed and burnt out and exhausted. There is a major event happening at work. I’ll spend three days in the office and on the third, I’ll stumble home around midnight. My parents will arrive for a visit 12 hours later.

I will make the list. Not just the normal cleaning-for-guests list, but the preparing-for-parents list. Don’t just vacuum, but use the attachment to get in those hard to reach places. Don’t just clean the kitchen but really sanitize the inside of the microwave. Don’t just grocery shop for the week, but remember that your dad likes dairy milk in his coffee.

The morning after the event, I straighten up a bit. Cosmetic fixes. It’s too early to vacuum and then my work day begins. Things look better than they were. But they don’t look how I want them to look.

And then my parents arrive. And we congregate in the family room. And I’m working and we’re talking and I start the tea kettle.

And there is still dust on the furniture.

But for now, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that we are together. We sit in silence while I work—occasionally, just looking up to stare at each other. Occasionally, bubbling over with excitement for this thing we want to talk about or catch up on.

And there is still a coffee stain on the inside of the microwave.

But for now, that doesn’t matter. What matters is the way I can let the stress melt off my body and the way my to-do list comes to a crashing pause. The way my priorities are reshifting, even temporarily, in the name of family.

And there is a clump of my hair in the space between the toilet and the bathroom sink.

But for now, that doesn’t matter.

Because there will always be another surface to scrub, another task to complete. There will always be things I want to do. But we cannot wait for perfect environments to invite people in.

So host the party even if the laundry basket is overflowing. Invite your friends in even if you don’t have everyone’s preferred coffee creamer. Take the chance even if you don’t feel ready. Live unafraid of the imperfection. Love without guarantee.

There will still be dust on the furniture.

And there will always be life concurrent.