Oh Mamasan!

Anyone who knows me well, knows I like a clean house (who doesn't?). But, my obsession can be pretty bad. For instance, I can't eat dinner if the kitchen isn't clean. I can't relax if there's clutter around me (this does not apply to my car). When I was pregnant, everyone told me my standards would change. I actually feared the "toy corner" in my living room. And I realized I was being completely ridiculous.

My standards have not changed. I still like a clean house. I'm just not as bothered by Kaelyn's pink swing in our family room as I thought I would be. Or her rattle and teethers laying on our coffee table.

Keeping up with the housework is a different story though. I can do it. I do it. But my efficiency is gone. I used to be able to set aside a couple of hours every weekend and clean the entire house. Then it was done and life was good. Now, I can't really set aside that time. It can take me hours just to dust for all the interruptions (happy ones, I'm not complaining). But what used to be easy for me became something I felt like I was constantly doing. (As an aside, despite popular belief, I do not enjoy cleaning...I just don't like clutter and dirt.)

As a treat, Roger and I decided to hire someone to come into our house and do some deep spring cleaning. Mainly because I just couldn't stop complaining about our dirty baseboards or our dusty light fixutres. And also, because we didn't really want to sacrifice a fun weekend to deep clean the house. So, yesterday was the happy day our house was cleaned and I got to come home to it! It felt so great. Everything was really beautiful and even though I had to immediately take care of a sick baby, I was still way more relaxed than I've been in weeks.

All of this made me think of my mamasan....a sweet lady I hired to clean my house on a weekly basis while I was living in Japan. Sure, I could have done it myself, but for 2000 yen (roughly $20) a week, I didn't have to. Mamasan was wonderful. She couldn't have been taller than 4 feet or younger than 70. She couldn't see well and couldn't speak english. She would randomly call me throughout the week, but I have no idea what she was saying to me. She faithfully rode her bicycle to a different house each day of the week and worked her butt off. She even ironed my underwear...for $20. Amazing.

I don't know if Mamasan knows what she did for me. How relaxed and happy I was in my house because of her. I doubt she remembers me or even realizes how much I miss her. I don't even know her name and that makes me sad (especially since I just learned what the true origination of the word "mamasan" means). But, she did impact my life. Because of her, I spent the weekends enjoying Japan instead of cleaning my house. How blessed am I that I can have those experiences?

I wish I had been able to communicate better with Mamasan. To let her know that she meant something to me. I wish I knew who she was. Not just her name, but how many people was she supporting on the $20/day she got for cleaning houses? What has her life been like? Has she ever been outside of northern Japan? And what could I have done for her to thank her for being who she is?

I don't think it occured to me at the time what a huge blessing my life is. That I can say "I don't like doing this, so I'll just hire someone to do it for me" That's huge! Nothing lasts forever. I miss my mamasan...