Chores are not my natural friend. Like many people – most people, I suspect – organization, cleaning, and all the executive function-driven tasks required to make a home run smoothly do not come easily to me. Growing up, chores were a punishment that led to weekend dread. I learned how to do a lot of things well enough to pass inspection, though I always seemed to live, study, and later work surrounded by mess. Call it a brain thing, or a me thing, but it’s something I’ve struggled with over the years from childhood well into adulthood. I’ve been trying with varying amounts of success to change my relationship with chores so I can take care of my family and my space. I’ve also been trying to integrate spirituality into all areas of my life, not just as a treat when the chores are done. So yesterday, faced with a bunch of dishes to do, dinner to prep, and garbage to wrangle, I set up an impromptu altar and said some prayers.

Most of my prayers are spontaneous so I don’t remember exactly what was said. But I petitioned the house spirits, and the spirits of our home, neighborhood, family, various ancestors, and friendly deities like Brighid and Hecate, to help me keep on track with my work so I could build a relationship with them. I lit a candle, poured some cool water, and offered a very precious sweet. (It’s a Year of the Dragon themed taro cake a library kiddo gave me for Christmas, so there’s a lot of love wrapped up in that offering.)

And you know what… chores were not, in fact, terrible.

There were still hurdles, of course. I have sensory issues that mean rubber gloves are on while dealing with dirty dishes, and nitrile gloves are on if I had to handle meat or anything particularly slimy. The kitchen is still in a weird temperature well that manages to be ~10 degrees warmer than the rest of the apartment. Standing for an extended period of time still makes my back complain. But I was surprised at how much energy I was able to summon and how taking care of the kitchen seemed more natural than usual. Doing the dishes turned into clearing off the counters and giving them and the stove a good scrub. Prepping for that night’s dinner led me to chopping veggies for a few extra meals. By the time I was physically and emotionally done, about an hour and a half had elapsed. Considering I usually have to bribe and cajole myself into housework by ten minute increments, I think this was a resounding success.

I have a lot more thoughts bubbling away about housework, where we put our energy, and finding religion in the small things. I actually hope to make it part of my book one day. I’ve been planning to write about Devotional Hearthcraft for several years. I look forward to exploring it more this year and sharing with everyone.