Speaking of monks and a woman...
Just now, I was cleaning my fridge. It's a self-care day, in which I get to do whatever I like! And I like creating cleanliness :) When I moved in to my amazing place, it was very lightly cleaned. Any intensive cleaning was left for me to do. Two months in, I found today is one in which our fridge has only six things in it -an excellent day to tackle it, before I get groceries. It's looked "fine" to me, but the other day I noticed some little crumbs I would love to clear out. In approaching those, I found a bit more...so pulled a drawer out and found a stain...
I pulled out my handy dandy new magic eraser and was delighted as things I'd assumed were permanent came up!
As I continued to scrub and wipe, the following took place in my head:
"They only lightly cleaned it, now I'm intensively cleaning...yet when I move out, I will intensively clean again, because that's what I do. Well, that's okay, that's just fine... I like that I will prepare it so well for the next person... Oh yes, it's like at the monk retreat I stay at sometimes: When we exit, we're asked to clean our own room thoroughly, and to think of the next struggling person who will arrive, and clean it for them, being prayerful in the activity, blessing that next person while we prepare the space for them.
So, here I am, perhaps years in advance, doing the first round of preparations for the wonderful person who will come after me, tired and struggling, and grateful for a clean happy space... Yes!
Oh! Wait! I am that person! I am the person for whom I am cleaning this space. I am the person I am blessing. For the next months or years or decades I will have a shiny, sparkling fridge because I took the time and effort to bless it for her. What a lovely gift. Thank you."
Cleaning my fridge this morning -blessing the space for the next person, who happens to be me- is an act of self-compassion.