My Mother’s Rules for Living

While we were away, my mother left the following instructions for living at our house.  I assume they were tacked up somewhere prominent when she did that, but by the time we got home, the note itself was floating around on the floor and had gotten kind of dirty… which is itself kind of sad and also, somehow, emblematic of the whole problem.

I don’t think there’s any particular order here:

• If it falls on the floor, pick it up
• If it’s dirty, wash it
• If it belongs to you, put it (away) in your room
• If you take it out, put it back
• If you need help, ask
• If something spills, wipe it up
• If the toilet paper roll is empty, put on a new one (and toss empty into recycle bin)

So there it is!  I cannot comment, because if she sees this, she may think I’m mocking.  But I’m not… I just wonder why even these very basic standards seem, most of the time, so far out of reach.

(Plus, did you notice the handwriting???  my mother has some of the neatest handwriting I’ve ever seen… I’m certain she wasn’t doing anything special here or making an effort to be extra-neat.  This is just what it looks like!)