With school starting next week, I finally did a reset in the kids’ room. 

On Monday and Tuesday, we went through all of the clothes and got rid of the fall and winter clothing they outgrew since last year. We also pulled anything lighter that won’t make it next to summer, size-wise. We were rewarded by reclaiming precious closet and drawer space and had a tidy lineup bags for the charity resale store.  

Today, we tackled the rest of the space littered with art projects created and abandoned over the summer. That task resulted in the removal of two garbage bags of trash and recycling. There is actual floor space that is currently observable—so exciting.

For his part, Tim chopped and stacked a cord of wood from leftover fallen trees littering the edge of our yard. Then we sat around the fire pit and enjoyed the pastel hues of the fading evening light. 

We commented on our mutual satisfaction of completing long delayed, menial tasks. Despite the drudgery of repeatable, thankless chores, there is pleasure in work well done. 

Sometimes we seek leisure, but miss the satisfaction. So, we complain and book a longer, more exotic escape only to be accompanied by our own discomforted selves.

Rest is a state of relaxation that comes after a time of toil and strain.  Not to glorify hustle culture or overwork, but sometimes our over-investment in labor saving devices cheats us of the natural endorphin boost that simply doing a thing provides.