What's Normal?

This has been a busy week, a good week and for me a "normal" week.

Most importantly, my daughter is completely pain free from the kidney infection that hospitalized her and subsequently set her back from her studies for two weeks. She was able to get back to school, back to the barn and back to normal.

On another positive note, my husband and I have fully recovered from lingering effects of the flu we so generously shared with each other. It's good to be reminded once in awhile that feeling normal is often taken for granted!

For me, having a normal work week means packing in as much as I can. I love what I do, so why not do more? Nobody forces me to try to "do it all", I enjoy the challenge. However by weeks end, often my best laid plans were not all accomplished - that's normal.

I sent Elizabeth her kitchen plans. We chatted about ideas for a few minutes and when we were about to hang up she said "Here I am a professional organizer and I don't have a clue where to start with this kitchen remodel!" I laughed and reassured her - that's normal!


I don't normally take time out for lunch. Usually, I get wrapped up in my day, grab something quick and press on. But Thursday I met an old friend. We sat for much longer than most normally would, however it was fun to catch up. Plus, every time we get together (maybe twice a year), I come away feeling I can tackle anything! That's not normal!

What's been unusual this week, is that I have received lots of messages and questions (which I love to answer), thanks to the mention of the Be it Ever so Humble website and blog in the Fresh section of the April issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It's not everyday the world's leading women's magazine gives you a plug! While it's normal to want to thank them, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to relay to them how very thankful I am for their kind support.

Speaking of the blog, one of the questions I received this week was from a woman who wrote "You're going to think this is HORRIBLE, but "I've NEVER learned to have a regular housekeeping schedule!" She stated "Most women I know do certain things on certain days" and closed by wondering, "Can you teach a woman to be a better housekeeper"?

I immediately responded and hopefully put her at ease. I admitted to her that I don't have a regular schedule either! I tried to assure her that while I do attempt to keep up during the week, it's normal for me to let a few things slide. I attached a couple of links from previous posts I'd written on the subject. I hope it helped.

I gathered from her email address, that she is a nurse. That says to me that she probably doesn't have normal work schedule! Most nurses I know don't have normal nine-to-five jobs unless they are in an office situation or have seniority at a hospital. Frankly, if you've chosen to comfort and care for others as your life's work, it's understandable that keeping a perfectly tidy house is not at the top of your to-do list!

My point in sharing her question? It's normal to think that what everybody else does is normal.

It's not.

What's normal is that everyone's situation is different. We don't need guilt, we don't need to feel judged or feel we must do things like others do them. However, those feelings are normal. 

When I decided to start this site, my hope was to share a variety of unique ideas, tips and solutions that could potentially help to make your home and family run smoother. Most importantly however, I hope that you've discovered all of our situations are different and that there is no right or wrong way to go about being "organized". Yes, it comes naturally to me, I find it challenging and fun, but not everybody does -  and that's normal!