Some facts about doing my laundry

Some facts about doing my laundry
by Rev. Fr. Philip Vincent S. Sinco

The Season of Lent has two important invitations: to turn away from sin and to be faithful in the message of the Gospel. I believe, nobody will ever be challenged by these injunctions unless he has gone deep into himself and be aware of what is going on in his life. I think this is what happened to me in the past days. Paradoxically, the things that I have been carrying out in routine, say, doing my laundry, has opened my awareness to the recurring issues I keep on dealing with myself in the past twenty-eight years of my personal journey. What seemed to be tedious and boring has turned out to be an opportunity for self-discovery, and that I was able to regress inwardly as I searched for inner peace and healing.

Hence, allow me to share to you some facts about doing my laundry...

WASH
It’s been ages that I washed my clothes with my bare hands. As far as I can remember, the last time I stretched and crumpled those dirty shirts of mine was when the pulsator of our washing machine at home screwed up and I had no choice but to put everything inside the large tub, and let my 10 fingers do the job. Now I am doing it again, reminding myself that everything has to start from the basic...

At the back of my mind, I was torn between living the easy life and taking responsibility for myself…I have been so used in getting things done in a jiffy that my understanding of personal accountability and trustworthiness were shrouded…I was so into my comfort zones lately that I almost forgot where I actually came from…I know that I have endured a lot through the years but my painless and worry-free disposition has reduced my memory to practicality…all I ever wanted was an easy life and there was a point in time that I thought everything was possible…but in reality, it wasn’t. Just like washing my clothes, life is difficult…

RINSE
I usually rinse my clothes three times before I finally drench it in a separate tub of fabric conditioner mixed with water. This is to make sure that what I will be wearing is free from remnants of soap suds. I just don’t like the impression that my laundry was haphazardly done especially when my folks notice some white marks on my shirt as if I applied too much baby powder on my body (which I don’t usually do)…I am also very particular with stains. If they still remain after several washing, I would throw or give that shirt away.

In life, there have been instances that I hate myself because of my woundedness…that I often question my credibility and worthiness, thinking that I don’t deserve anything…that happiness can never be free or spontaneous because I have to work hard for it all the time…like the stains on my shirt, there are certain experiences that I’d rather forget because it is too painful to remember…only to realize later on that facing it squarely, when I had the chance, would have made me courageous and strong…sometimes ,I feel bad when the "ghosts" of my past would haunt me again because I have deliberately thrown them away…Now, I am reminded that there is such a thing called “grace” and this “grace” is usually build on nature.

DRY
Drying my clothes is not a simple task for I have to bear the scorching heat of the sun…or better wait for several days before I can finally wear my favorite shirt if it’s raining…or put it inside the dryer and spin it in eternity...Occasionally (and with much desperation), I’d like to defy time, ironing my damp clothes forcibly so that I can use them again, only to be embarrassed later on that they are not actually parched up but stinky.

In life, there are occasions when I get so impatient over certain matters…that I jump easily to conclusion without weighing down the odds…that I have been so attached to the results of my words and actions that I have failed to look closely into myself and discern which is more loving and life-giving…and then, I am reminded once again that my thoughts are faster than my words so that I can ponder things well inside my mind before blurting them out…and that I can be reasonable enough to control myself for the greater good…

FOLD
I am a certified “neat freak”. Folding clothes for me is like solving a geometrical equation , where I would painstakingly pleat every edges in order to come up with a perfect square…more so, I would arrange them neatly- segregating the whites from coloreds, the plain shirts from printed shirts, the crew necks from v-necks, those with "sleeves" from those without "sleeves. It gives me satisfaction and contentment to see my cabinet in order…I would always aim for tidiness and harmony…

At times, I’d like to see life that way too…that everything’s fixed and all I have to do is to rely on what has been planned or scheduled. but having this idealism has left me frustrated in the past years…there are things that are beyond my control…in the end, I am only invited to take risk and let go for life is not all about precision…I will learn so much if I have the willingness to compromise and be comfortable with the occasional mistakes that I have committed. Failure makes sense sometimes. It makes me grow better as a person.

Perhaps, I should thank our labandera for making me realize these things once again. Salamat Nang Minda!