Laundry Day

Each Thursday and Saturday are laundry days at our house. Today is Thursday...I generally dread this day but today I am inspired to take on the task and to do it with joy.

The day started out as usual. breakfast, prayer, etc...then I faced "the giant"...literally the giant pile of laundry (8 loads!) in my hallway. Daunting. I separated all of the laundry and went (mentally griping all the way) to the laundry room closet to start the first load...when who did I see peering out from between the hanging coats but Our Lady herself! Here's a picture to prove it.

It is amazing how an image can change your entire outlook. I see this image every time I open the laundry closet door but today it touched me in a new way.

I sometimes have a hard time relating to Our Lady because...well because she's PERFECT! AND she has ONE child who also happens to be PERFECT! But today it hit me...Mary had a LOT of work to do that because of modern conveniences I do not have. I mean I stress over eight loads of laundry but in order to wash her family's clothes she had to work HARD...ALL DAY...hunched over a bucket or stream...scrubbing with her bare hands...knowing she still had dinner to prepare (no fast/frozen food back then ladies and gents) and despite all of this she did not have a thought of complaint but instead said "Fiat", "let it be done to me according to Your Word". What a woman! I want to be more like her!

So today I am just grateful. I guess eight loads in my automatic washer and electric dryer aren't as bad as I thought...after all.