the things that no one notices

I cleaned the dishwasher.

I know no one will notice, so I have to let you know.

I got the special dishwasher cleaner. I made sure the dishwasher was empty. I turned the dial to the required cycle, which runs on high heat for a long time. Then when it was finished, I dismantled the little bits and pieces. I rinsed them off, and removed the gunk.

It’s not the kind of job anyone notices, and says thanks for. They will notice and thank you for unstacking the dishwasher. They may even notice if you’ve loaded it and put it on. But cleaning it? Who notices?

No one, except me. And so I have to announce it to the world, or at least my little part of the blogosphere, to get any recognition.

Yet if I choose not to do this importance maintenance job, over time the dishwasher would get grubby and grotty, and the pipes would get blocked. Over time it would cease to function as it should. Over time people would notice that the plates weren’t getting cleaned properly. Or possibly the smell would annoy them. But it would take some time.

Are you in a place of quiet internal work, work that is taking place over a protracted period of time? Are you dealing with guilt, or shame, or addiction? Are you dealing with grief, or fear, or jealousy?

It is hard when you feel like you have been scoured at high heat for months. It is hard when there is no one to notice the transformation taking place inside of you. It is hard when it seems so incremental and insignificant.

But that internal maintenance, over time, it allows you to function as you should.

Join me for the journey,

Jodie