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Dishes, Laundry, Life and Relationships


"Again," I greeted my sink of dishes this morning. 

As if it is some sort of surprise they are there.  

"I thought you were done," I chuckled.  I really dislike dishes.

I'm not sure if I was talking to the dogs, myself, the dishes themselves or the air; nevertheless, it was quite the passionate argument as I made coffee.

"Ahh, this is why you dishes and laundry drive me nuts," I expand.  "You are never done.  I can't wash you and move on.  You come back over and over again."  

Picturing "Chip" from Beauty and the Beast makes me laugh.

Dishes and laundry are so much like my relationships and my spiritual life I realize.  Neither life nor relationships are a series of tasks to complete.  A silo activity to be moved on from and dragging ourselves back to.

Our lives and our relationships are a dynamic daily process.  The daily building upon, doing over and continuing are the stuff relationships are made from.


  • Relationships are experiential.  We want to be experienced.  Relationships are built by those daily and mundane interactions.  We build upon memories, experiences, traditions, habits and routines.  
  • Relationships are dynamic, on-going and we get to "do" them over and over again.  A moving, reflecting, tweaking and moving again.
  • Relationships are continuing.  Our relationships are not task to do, but rather a treasure to nurture.  They are not stagnant nor task oriented.  Staying with the relationship is what life is all about.



So, making coffee and attending the dogs.  
Greeting and then kissing my husband goodbye for the day.  
Listening to the loud sounds of my teenage son getting reading for school downstairs.  

 And, now, doing dishes.

Ahh, this is the stuff life and relationships are made from.

 Lord, help me to understand the building, reflecting, doing again and continuing are the stuff relationships are made from.  Thank you for giving us the daily chance to come back to you and to ask you to clean our hearts and minds.  Thank you for wanting us to constantly be coming back to you to reconnect.  Help me today to see all of life as important and not task oriented.  





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