Lessons from housekeeping

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

 

THIS may not be a major concern that would elicit a strong interest from most people. But to me, at least, this has given me some precious lessons and insights into how a good housekeeping culture should be. And if I could beg your indulgence, I would like to do some sharing of what I learned.

Because of the lockdown regimen due to the pandemic, which lasted for quite a while, I found myself doing household chores, especially in the kitchen, because our helpers could not report for work.

At first, I felt like a fish out of water, since by fate or whatever, I have been spared so far from doing tasks like laundering, cooking, washing dishes, setting the table, cleaning the house, shopping and going to the wet markets to buy fish, veggies, meat, things I hardly bother about before, etc.

I believe that if there is such a thing as division of labor and that one is assigned to where he is most fit and gifted, then I believe that household chores are not really for me, though I know I am not completely exempted from them. And true enough, doing household menial chores were never my cup of tea. I never developed a liking for them. And if I could avoid them, I would have no second thoughts avoiding them.

I have always thought that I am meant more for some intellectual work, doing a lot of reading and researches, writing, analyzing data and the like. That’s where I feel most at home. I like being with people rather than with pots and pans, brooms and the washing machine. And so, when I could not avoid the housekeeping chores anymore, my initial reaction was something like having a crisis.

But then I have been trained to be game to any new challenges that can come my way. And so I tried to activate this attitude this time toward something that I considered completely unexpected. And it paid off.

Yet, in spite of my initial awkwardness and difficulty, I still considered myself lucky because I had companions who, even if they were highly-placed professional men, were experts in housekeeping tasks, especially in cooking. They happen to come from families that had excellent housekeeping cultures. And so I learned a lot from them. The whole period of forced lockdown became for me a great blessing in disguise.

First thing I learned was that there has to be a good wholistic plan of how the whole housekeeping concern should be done. The different tasks were identified and assigned to us. I was given as my main chore that of dishwashing. Perhaps, they found me capable only of that, though I was also asked to lend a hand in the other chores to which I gradually developed a certain liking and skill.

Of course, a schedule for each task was made, and everyone was expected to do his job punctually. I notice that when everyone cooperated, the whole house became a haven of good life. Everyone was cheerful and of good disposition, despite being deprived of their usual business.

One concrete lesson I learned and which I consider precious is that in the preparation for cooking, things have to be cleaned and washed after each step of the preparation process. And so despite the mess involved, the whole place still appeared clean and orderly. Clutter was practically eliminated.

 

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com