I had a rough morning last week.
I had stomach pain and digestion issues from overeating the previous night.
I stepped on the scale and saw I gained 3 lbs in a week.
My right shoulder has been injured for months. It is painful and limiting and taking a long time to heal.
I didn’t win the $1M Covid Shot lottery in NC.
To top it off, it was a dreary, rainy day of thunderstorms without a glimmer of sun.
I needed a pick me up so I did what never fails.
I love a freshly vacuumed house. My dogs track all kinds of noogies through the house – leaves, dirt, sand, and dog hair. With all of my walking, I bring in my fair share myself.
After vacuuming, I. was so pleased hat I decided to mop the floors too.
The whole process took less than an hour. By the time I finished, I was longer grumpy.
I admired the flooring I has chosen – I still love it two years later.
I cleared the countertops, wiped out a few cobwebs in the corners and organized all the furniture. Everything is in its place and shiny.
In fact, if I wasn’t writing this post, I’d have forgotten about all the reasons why I felt bad in the first place.
During my 29 years with Ellen, I rarely cleaned the house. As soon as we could afford it, we hired a cleaning lady to come in once every week or two. In between, I put things away and uncluttered the house while my wife would dust and occasionally vacuum.
I had no what I was missing out on all of those years.
If I won the lottery, I might consider hiring a cleaning lady and a lawn care guy because I’d have the money. But I’m not so sure either would make my life better.
My other lottery fantasy purchases include a winter home in Florida, a backyard heated lap pool so I can swim whenever I want and more expansive food like grass fed hamburger, steaks and roasts. I might even buy a house with a two car garage or a huge shed for my workouts.
Of course I’d help out some of my family and friends.
Lastly, I’d get health insurance.
But otherwise, I don’t think my life would change a whole lot. I’d have more financial security and a few more options for convenience.
Then again, my life today is pretty darn good. I have purposely crafted a life that is frugal, simple and rewarding.
I had a long and wonderful marriage. I raised a family. I worked some great and not so great jobs and had a decent career.
In many ways, I already won the lottery.
It took an hour of vacuuming and mopping for me to realize this today.