Finding Calm in the Midst of Chaos

My Office

For me, routine and a sense of order are necessary components of sanity.  I don’t do well in chaotic situations.  When my external world is in disarray, I can feel my internal world beginning to fray.  I am full of empathy for all the displaced persons living amid the disarray of makeshift camp cities and, come to think of it, I was never crazy about camping even when it was a planned ‘recreational’ activity.  Being outdoors: fabulous.  Not having bureau drawers: untenable.

I’ve been thinking about all of that for the past eighteen hours or so.  Not that I’m outdoors.  But we are more-or-less camping.  After twenty-some years of wear and tear, our wall-to-wall carpet in bedroom, closet, and my office is being replaced.  I loved the old carpet but the color choice (celery) was not a good one.  Years of foot traffic, bedside spills and other invalid-related disasters conspired to prompt a change.  The new carpet is an avocado color and we have high hopes.

Chaos

“A day and a half,” said our CG (Carpet Guru).

“Will we be able to sleep in our own bed tonight?”

“No problem,” he said.

We moved the small stuff – my gawd, where did it all come from?  Even things stored under the bed!  Our CG moved the rest – bureaus, file cabinets, the chifforobe…  OMG!  When all was said and done, the fainting couch was standing on its head in the hallway, our east room was a complete clutter and the bed was in pieces in my office with the dust and cobwebs of the ages hanging from the parts not seen for decades.  YUCK!  I could feel the unravelling begin.

In Progress

“I’m afraid you’ll have to sleep upstairs tonight,” CG said quietly at the end of the day.  “Will that be all right?”

Of course it was.  As in, there were few alternatives.  It was making my way into the closet for clothes this morning and trying to retrieve my makeup and hairbrush from a drawer in the bathroom that was tense.  I unraveled some more…

Early Morning Crossword – Calm, Cool, Collected

But today our Community Historians class begins.  No time to wonder if the CG will complete his task today.  Or tomorrow.  Not even time to worry about whether we’ll get put back together in time to host Sunday’s House Concert.  OMG!  Thank goodness for Nyel – always a bastion of calm no matter what. Perhaps I can re-ravel after all.

One Response to “Finding Calm in the Midst of Chaos”

  1. Marion Freshley says:

    Even though you are torn up, and I too don’t do too well with clutter, it will all come together and look very nice. You will be so glad you did it! I admire Nyel for him calmness. A true gift!

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