Peace of mind comes from not wanting to change others, but by simply accepting them as they are. True acceptance is always without demands and expectations. ~ Jampolsky MD, Gerald G.. Love Is Letting Go of Fear, Third Edition (p. 39). Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale. Kindle Edition.

I don’t clean house, I hire it done.
I don’t declutter until someone’s coming
and they won’t have room to move
in the space available. For some reason
with the cleaning lady coming tomorrow
this afternoon I worked a solid hour
moving a heavy bed in not enough space
and excavating under the bed for bits and pieces
of toys, of pieces of paper, of the underlining
of the box springs that the dog has spent
more than thirteen months destroying,
bits and pieces of at least five pairs of shoes…
I worked hard this afternoon
and was loudly critiqued for leaving
a broom, a dustpan, a grabber, and a vacuum
scattered around the room. I knew I left a mess
but, “Who could see under the bed?”
I knew what I had done, wanted my critic
to know what I had done. I yelled back,
then backed down and explained.
Peace of mind comes from not wanting
to change others, but by simply accepting them
as they are. True acceptance
is always without demands and expectations.
And the cleaning lady will know it’s changed!