It feels weird. Trying to blog about mundane things like laundry room organization when life quite literally feels on the cusp of…something. I’ve talked about my own struggle with posting “normal” life during times that pull us out of our own bubbles and push us into the world as it is — a messy, torturous place for so many people. Embrace that pull, folks. Learn from it.

Anyway, the injustice of it all eats away at me, every day. Every breath I take is jam-packed with the knowledge that the world is not as it should be…maybe it never has been…and I wonder, will it ever be? I’ve grown up with the awareness that I was “lucky” — privileged. Does that mean that I don’t have my own hurt, damage, adversity? Not at all. We are all broken people — as if we’re sewn together, a glittering web of cracked glass from a mirror, reflecting our brokenness in fractals of light and shadow.

Almost instinctually, I knew that life was easier for me than others. I had two parents with steady jobs, lived in a house they were able to build, went to the doctor when I was sick, ate three meals (and a buttload of snacks) every day, went on vacations during the summer — day-to-day life was more than comfortable. Even as a kid, I could see that wasn’t true for everyone.

My first encounter with inequality (well, blatant racism) came in Kindergarten (yep.). This will sound wild, almost ridiculous. But, it is one of my most distinct memories and I revisit it often. I was friends with a boy named Oscar. He was kind, funny, and often dressed in a button-up shirt with a tie. We would laugh and play at recess, hang out at the craft table — you know, regular Kindergarten shit.

One day, during snack time (all the bad crap goes down during snack time, you know), I was sitting next to Oscar when another boy (sitting across from me), said he was “gonna marry” me. At the tender age of five, I just stared back as he pointed to Oscar and said, “you don’t wanna marry a black man, do ya?”

I know what you’re thinking. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THAT?! SO much to unpack here, am I right? First, Oscar wasn’t Black (oh, the details). Second, what five-year-old would say something like that? …unless they heard it somewhere else….which I’m almost certain they had. As a child, I instinctively *knew* that was messed up. Throughout my life, I’ve been reminded of the prejudice that inflicts our day to day lives.

And that’s the problem, isn’t it? Systemic racism is everywhere — it was then and it is now. I often wonder where Oscar is, today. I hope he’s safe, happy, loved. Selfishly, I hope the other dude has Irritable Bowel Syndrome, at the *very* least.

I’ll continue to wrestle with all of this, every day of my life. I’ll continue to learn about it, question my assumptions, stretch my awareness. Even as I stuff our soiled clothes into the washing machine, sweep cat litter from the tiled floor, grab a trash bag from a basket on the shelf — every mundane task offers a moment or two to think deeply, question fiercely, resolve to do more.

It turns out, I handle world-stress by throwing myself into creative projects AND organizing. So, there you go. Don’t underestimate the healing power of adding a bit of order to your life. It does wonders. Looking for suggestions or see something you like in this space? See my list below and feel free to comment with any questions!

Laundry room organization made easy:

• Wicker storage baskets below the bench: I use these to keep hats, caps, gloves, and other outerwear for the seasons.
• Heavy-duty wall hooks: this is a beast and holds coats, backpacks, and snow pants for the whole family.
• Automatic litter box: with six cats, I am immensely grateful for the invention of the automatic litter box. I’ve tried several brands but have landed on this unit that does a great job of keeping litter mess at a minimum.
• Baskets: if you learn anything, learn that baskets are your best friend. Compartmentalize what you have and stick everything in labeled baskets.
• Storage containers: I love these storage containers and use them for litter, cat food, bird seed, and bird litter. It makes everything look concise and it’s much easier to shift around smaller containers than lugging around a 30 pound litter pail.
• Washer/Dryer counter board: this is may favorite addition because it adds so much more space for keeping laundry detergent, folding clothes (and decorating because I’m *extra* – love this frame).
• Glass containers: I found gorgeous glass containers for things like washing machine cleaner tablets, clothes pins, dryer balls, and more.
• Shelving: shelving is my friend. Add floating shelves with brackets for more storage space for small items — keeping things up and off the floor as much as possible.

There you go, moody mortals. Love big this week.