No Apologies

While working on one of my to-do list items for the week (cleaning), I came to the realization that this is a subject that most women I know apologize about/ for. For some strange reason, we women feel the need to justify our housekeeping skills or supposed lack thereof. But why? Why do we feel the need to explain why the dishes aren't washed or the bathroom is sparkling?

Honestly, I understand that not everyone is as compulsive as I am about cleaning, and I don't even feel like I'm really that compulsive. I simply like a clean house. That's it. That's part of who I am. And because of that "weird" facet of my personality, I make a point to clean the house every two weeks. (Sometimes I've been known to go three weeks between cleanings if that's what my schedule dictates, and, yes, I'm okay with that.) This doesn't mean I scrub all the baseboards (that's part of spring cleaning), but I do dust and vacuum. Again, I like the feeling and smell of a clean house.

The house might give the illusion of clean in-between cleanings because I also do not like clutter. At all. (Confession: There's a stack of papers sitting on our island that drives me crazy! It's stuff that we have to deal with eventually, but for now they're sitting there, taunting me.) So, basically, I put stuff away. Again, I just like an orderly home. Why should I feel the need to explain or justify that?

It's not that I'm not as busy as the next mom (though working moms or those with more than one child are definitely busier than I am), it's that I simply (again) like a clean house, so I make sure that it gets done. This is no different than the woman who exercises, or works, or spends time on the Internet; if it's in your nature, then you find a way to make it work.

So please don't feel the need to justify or explain the state of your home. I'm not insulted if it's not glistening. In the same respect, please don't just assume that mine is clean because I'm trying to impress someone. We are who we are, and we needn't apologize for that.