If I Didn’t Have a Woman, I Wouldn’t Have Curtains

Recently, out of the blue, my wife requested a new clothesline. I listened, acted, and promptly built one. She was so pleased and showed her excitement with a joyful smile. I was blessed at least ten-fold that day and the benefits continue to multiply. As a bonus, she took over the family laundry duty, and I was unanimously released from that assignment with a vote of thanks.

She was on fire with a purpose in mind. Miracles, I never dreamed possible, began to appear. The whites and my Sunday shirts are now white and stains are disappearing. Family members are making genuine remarks like, “My clothes are so clean. They smell better. How did you get that dirty spot removed that has been on my shirt for months? Dad, you don’t do the laundry anymore, do you?”

My amazing miraculous laundry lady with a plan has all our clothes clean, folded, and put away. The dirty laundry bins are empty, vacuumed, and dirt free. Things are in order and everything is done … I thought. She has now started washing rugs and curtains. I must admit and acknowledge her as one awesome angel with a mission!

Recently, after a full day, we sat on our couch together just talking, joking, playing, laughing, and enjoying some time together. During the course of the conversation, she thanked me for helping her with the clothesline and expressed the delight and happiness she has found in it. I thanked her for making our lives at least three shades brighter and expressed my love for one good woman.

She laid her head on my shoulder and whispered something like, “I just love washing, cleaning, and using my wonderful clothesline . . . .  “John, do you think you would have ever thought to wash the curtains?” We both broke out in laughter and chuckled for some time, knowing full well it would likely take at least a lifetime for me to notice the curtains and conclude washing was needed. I answered, “If I didn’t have a woman, I wouldn’t have curtains.”

That conversation was hilarious indeed (at least for us in the moment), but it caused me to seriously consider and ponder the question: If I didn’t have a woman, I wouldn’t have ______________?  To fill in the blank is huge, awe-inspiring, and tremendous, yet very humbling and crushing. It’s all encompassing, absolutely essential, and eternal. “Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 11:11

I never dreamed the act of building a clothesline would bring such an overwhelming return.

The Simple Joy of a Clothesline

The simple things in life can bring us great joy.  Who would have thought a clothesline could bring so much delight?

Our well water is high in iron.  As a result, our white laundry doesn’t stay sparkling white.  My mom was telling me about how she used to hang cloth baby diapers on the clothesline. The sun bleached the diapers and kept them white and bright. 

I’ve wanted a clothesline for some time, but we didn’t know where to put it. We have a lot of trees and wanted the clothesline to be in the direct sunlight.  We also wanted it to be close to the house, but not in the middle of the yard.  

 

We’ve been in this house for 13 years, and we finally built our clothesline.  The first thing I put on the line were clean sheets.  There’s nothing like the smell of sheets that have been drying outside in the fresh country air. 

It might sound kind of wacky, but I love putting clean clothes on the line, watching them blow in the wind, folding them as I take them off the line, and bringing the fresh clean linens and clothes into the house.

John has been doing the laundry for the past few years, but I just stole his laundry job. I’m having a lot of fun, and he is not resisting the take over.  He thinks the clothesline is a great investment in both his time and our money.

All the laundry bins are completely empty, and I’m looking for more things to wash.  I’m now washing curtains. I asked John if he would have thought about washing the curtains if I wasn’t around.  He smiled and said, “If I didn’t have a woman, I wouldn’t have curtains.” 

You’d think after 20 years of doing laundry for a large family, the job  would become mundane and drudgery.  The excitement is back! It must be the magic of a clothesline. 

I love seeing the clothes cleaner and brighter.  Jonathan said, “Every time I see you, you’re doing more laundry.”  It must look like fun because several of the children want to help.  Standing out in the warm sunshine hanging clothes on the line really does bring me a lot of joy.

Jaylee said, “I think it’s romantic that dad would build you something that you really want.” I never thought of it that way before, but she’s probably right.  Over time, many kind gestures build an enduring relationship.

We didn’t know we would use and love our new clothesline so much.  After the first week, John added another section.  Each section is four lines wide.

There are many simple things that bring happiness.  Capture the joy in the everyday pleasures.    

P.S. My sister shared two laundry tricks: 

#1 Whiten the Dingy Whites: Mix 1 cup of bleach and 1 cup of Cascade powdered dishwashing soap in a sink of hot water.   Let your whites soak in this solution.  I was amazed at how white it turned those dingy shirts.  I was going to get rid of several white shirts because they were yellowed.  Now, they look brand new. (Use rubber gloves when you put your hands in the water because it makes a lye-like solution.)

#2 Pre-Wash Stain Treatment: Mix ½ cup ammonia and ½ cup liquid detergent (Era, Tide, etc.) in a 16-ounce spray bottle.  Fill the rest of the bottle with water