The luxury of clean laundry

You can ask anyone who knows me really well, and they will tell you that I love laundry.  My love affair with laundry started at an early age, when it was part of my chores to take the family's laundry to the laundromat to wash, dry and fold.

I'll be honest, I resented that chore.  But then I came to love it.  There is nothing quite like the smell and feel of freshly laundered clothes.  And the sense of accomplishment!  Empty laundry baskets and full closets and dresser drawers.

Yesterday, as I was folding and putting away yet another load of laundry, I thought about how lucky I am.

There was a time in my life when I had to think about how much money I had to figure out how much laundry I could afford to do.  Sometimes, the sheets and towels just had to wait until I could work some overtime, or pick up extra hours at my second job.

There were times when essentials were hand washed in the kitchen sink, and hung in the bathroom to dry, because there was just no money for the laundromat.

Now, I have a beautiful red front loading washer and dryer right in my house.  I can do laundry anytime I want to.

Sometimes it is hard to remember that something as simple as doing laundry whenever you want to is really a privilege.  That having enough clothes to complain about how much laundry is piled up is also a privilege.

As I get older, I find myself more and more aware of how lucky I have been in life. I had a career I greatly enjoyed, and got well compensated for it.  I have a devoted, healthy husband, who I have tons of fun hanging out with.  I have a beautiful, healthy and financially independent daughter.  I have two healthy and financially independent stepsons.    I have two incredibly amusing dogs.

I have a wonderful brother, two amazing sisters, and great in-laws.  I have amazing nieces and nephews, and some of them have amazing children.  I have dozens of cousins and extended family that I genuinely like.  I have the most amazing friends, of all ages, and all over the world.

I never worry about where I'm going to sleep, or if I'm going to eat.  And I have all the clean laundry I could possibly want.

It is easy to take the good things for granted.  I'm trying to never do that.  There are too many people that don't enjoy the bounty I have.  The least I can do is appreciate how blessed I am.