Off Balance

We have this washing machine that has been driving me crazy.  I mean, it gets the clothes clean, so I really shouldn't ever complain...but I am.  I will put in a load of laundry and it will go for awhile just fine, but then it gets to the spin cycle and next thing I know "thump, thump, thump" comes from the basement.  If I am not home or not listening for it, it will march right across the floor, pulling out the tube from the wall where the water is being sucked out through and said water no longer goes through the pipe, it goes all over the floor. 

That stinks to clean up, especially since we have a couple living in our basement and then not only do I have to invade them to switch every load, I have to come down almost every spin cycle to move the clothes around inside until it is at the perfect balance.  And if I don't make it down in time, I have a huge mess to clean up. 

Seriously, no fun.

So what used to be just laundry day where I have a few extra chores and some trips up and down the stairs, has kind of become my least favorite day.

However, I am a naturally optimistic person, thank heavens, so I usually talk to the washer, give it a piece of my mind, laugh at myself, take a deep breath and hope it teaches me to be more grateful.  And it has taught me to be eternally grateful for each load that doesn't get off balance, and for the awesome tenants we have that are so nice about and laugh about it too, for the cute way little Matthew says "clofs go bump bump bump" as he totters like the washer does.  It is very entertaining, believe me.

But the real thing I have gained from this silly washer of mine is a comparison to my life.  Laugh at me if you want okay, but this is how my brain thinks.  There are so many things we have to do to keep our life in balance.  And when our life gets off balance, thump thump, things start going crazy and out of control and then way out of place until it is just a big mess that we have to clean up.  It is much easier to fix it before it goes crazy out of control. 

For instance, I have never been much of an athletic individual.  Give me a book and a box of chocolates and I am a happy woman.  Working out just holds no appeal for me.  But since Valentine's and with Easter (I am a sucker for all things sugar), all the baby weight I had lost has been sneaking back at a rather steady pace.  And my cravings for sugar have been only getting more intense.  The last week especially I have been feeling myself getting out of control.  And there were several moments where I was embarrassed and felt awkward and gross.  I totally don't want to be that way.  I don't want to be way over weight and I can't go on walks with my kids and fit in my clothes, that kind of thing.  So I need to get in control now.

I feel like I do when I quickly open the washer lid and sift the clothes around to get it back in balance.  I have been trying to be better about not eating as much today and I went on a run.  It was a small run, don't get shocked, and I felt like I would nigh unto die by the end, but man it felt so good at the same time.  Like my body was just longing for those muscles to move and for my lungs to fully expand and my heart to race. 

I will probably for the rest of my life be stopping and starting over and over again, trying to do things more perfectly than the day before.  Drinking more water, reading scriptures more, putting down the vacuum to hug a child instead of just rolling my eyes at them, getting dressed instead of staying in my pjs all day, doing something productive in the evenings, you know that kind of stuff.  There is no way I can do better on everything tomorrow, but we work on things slowly but consistently, doing our best and things will get better and better.  Not to mention, as we keep the Savior as our center, it won't ever be too difficult to fix the other things to get back in balance.

These are my contemplations for the day.  :)