Are You A Princess??

the priceless gifts!!

Hello, Magnolias! Thank you for joining me for another conversation on the porch. The weekend is so close I can almost smell it, and today made me a little nostalgic about what that used to look like.

It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that my sons were little, and weekends weren't for relaxing. They were filled with pitter-patters of little feet, fingerprints on the glass doors, art projects covering the kitchen table, Slip 'N Slides in the backyard, ballgames, birthday parties, and family time. Somewhere in between all that, there were mountains of laundry, yard work, grocery shopping, and enough housework to keep a person busy until Monday rolled around again.

Back then, Saturdays were for catching up on everything the workweek didn't leave time to finish. Sundays were spent cooking three meals with enough leftovers to carry us through the week. It made life run smoother, but it also meant most of my weekend disappeared before I ever got to enjoy it.

But that's just the season of life when your children are little.

It's a rite of passage.

You steal an hour to watch a television show that doesn't feature cartoon characters and hope you can stay awake through the second half. You survive on coffee, determination, and the belief that one day you'll actually sit down for an entire meal while it's still hot.

Somewhere between changing diapers and starting over after my divorce, I decided to budget, bargain, and figure out a way to get some help with the housework.

And honestly...

It's some of the best money I've ever spent.

Not because I can't clean my own house.

Not because I don't know how.

But because I've learned that time is one of the few things you can never earn back.

These days, I'm not nearly as obsessive about having a perfect house as I once was. I sleep just fine if there's a dish in the sink. If I get a call inviting me to spend time with family or a friend, I'll choose relationships over responsibilities more times than not.

I've come to believe the old saying is absolutely true:

"There will be years for cleaning and cooking, because children grow up while we aren't looking."

Freeing up my Saturdays made life better for everyone.

Even now, when things are not quite so hectic I have someone who helps me with the household chores, and I can say without one ounce of guilt that it remains some of the best money I've ever spent.

So this one is for the people who quietly make our lives a little easier.

The ones who scrub floors, fold towels, clean bathrooms, dust shelves, and somehow leave behind that unmistakable smell of bleach, Fabuloso, Melaleuca, and all the familiar scents that remind me everything is finally clean.

There is something about walking into a freshly cleaned home that instantly lifts my spirit.

If joy could be measured, I'm convinced my cup would overflow every single time I walk through that front door after she leaves.

I thank her every visit, not because I think it's expected, but because I genuinely mean it.

She isn't just cleaning my house.

She's giving me back hours I can spend writing, visiting family, making memories, or simply resting.

That is a gift.

I know the work is physically demanding. It's not glamorous.

Most people will never notice everything that was quietly done until the day no one is there to do it.

But I notice.

And I appreciate every single bit of it.

Maybe we should all take the opportunity to say the extra "thank you," leave the handwritten note, share the kind words, or give a little extra generosity because it has a way of reminding someone that what they do matters.

Because it does.

So here's my toast to all the hardworking, honest, dependable helpers who make life easier for the rest of us.

Thank you for the work you do.

Thank you for showing up.

As I've gotten older, I've realized I can always make more money, but I can't make more Saturdays. If I can spend a little less time cleaning and a little more time writing, laughing with my grandchildren, visiting friends, or making memories with the people I love, that's a trade I'll gladly make every single time.

Some people say that makes me a princess. If it does, then I'll gladly wear the tiara and the tutu like a badge of honor, loud and proud, and I will keep making that decision!

But, I think it makes me a strategist who finally learned that time is life's most precious currency and then I made a way to make it happen.

And if you're one of those people who quietly serves others every day, in case no one has told you, I hope you know this...

You may think you are cleaning houses, but you're also lightening burdens, creating peace, and giving people the priceless gift of time.

Bless Your Heart,

💕 Magnolia Grace