I am a little particular when it comes to laundry.
A few months before Craigley and I separated, I was doing laundry and was reminded of a poem by John Dunne - it is about the mingling of blood in a flea. When I first read that poem, I marvelled at how romantic that sounded from a certain perspective. It all came back to me as I was doing laundry. I realized that a lack of romance is the death of a marriage. I had been washing Craigley’s clothes separately from mine - I didn’t even want our clothes mingling together in the washer!
Since November 1st, 2022, Hans and I have been renting an apartment. My biggest struggle has been with the laundry situation. We have to wash our clothes in the same machines used by 100+ residents. It has been a little over 3 months and I am just easing into this situation. I feel like there is a lesson to be learned - like the universe is getting me to examine my life.
If there indeed was a flea that sucked on Craigley’s blood and then mine, would I have killed it with a vengeance just because I wouldn’t want the mingling of our bloods? Perhaps not! I look at ASid and Hans, and I see the best of Craigley and me in them. I see the lives we have created together.
That’s a good reminder that laundry is not life, it is just a process to transform dirty clothes into clean ones. Sometimes there is a metaphor to be found. Other times, I am probably trying too hard!
