Cleaning the Windows

It's funny how life can get so cluttered and dusty and murky and we don't even notice.

Lisa and I spent the morning cleaning the screens and windows in our house. Everything sparkles now, but more importantly, I realize now what I was missing. The dust and grime that had built up since the last time we cleaned had taken away from the enjoyment of the view and I hadn't even noticed.

How many of us live our lives this way? I know I used to.

Did I get out of shape overnight? Or was it that extra dessert I ate or the walk I skipped -- over and over?

Did my desk suddenly become cluttered? Or did I just not take the time to put stuff where it belonged -- over and over?

Did I suddenly wake up one day numb to my life? Or did I make one small compromise in my happiness -- over and over?

The other funny thing about cleaning the windows? It really didn't take as long as I thought it would. Just a couple of hours -- a couple of hours spent on a task which had some very nice visible results.

Sometimes "cleaning the windows" is just that easy. For example, taking a moment at the end of each day to put my desk back in order certainly is easy enough for me to accomplish.

Sometimes it isn't so easy...

...but the "view" when it's done is all worth it.

So, when was the last time you "cleaned your windows"? Was the "view" worth it when you were done?