Corporate psychology tells us that businesses encouraging play fullness in the workplace are more productive and bottom-line effective. The principle can be applied elsewhere, not least of all in our daily routine of maintaining a home. The work goes easier with
dose of reverent play. Why not give free rein to this holy occupation? Amuse and entertain yourself within the walls of your home using what you already have to serve your family and guests.
“Bless what you do and what you have,” I tell myself. See even the scarred, chipped, and weathered things as sacred—sacred because they bear to your family the significance of repetitive use in making a house a home. What could be more ordinary or profane, for example, than the family bathroom? The one in my house needs restoration badly. I finally noticed this when the last of my children left home. No longer distracted by the comings and goings of people constantly using this room, it became obvious that something was wrong. Using a large can of joint compound, I repaired the drywall where the commode tank sprayed water with each flush. After it dried I painted the buffeted walls a buttery yellow and the ceiling a bright white, then decorated the room with a dragonfly motif. Nothing short of winning a small lottery will allow me to fix the dilapidated sink and bathtub/shower used through fifteen years of hectic bedtime and morning rituals. I dream of brand-new Kohier faucets with elegant retro designs; it takes little to envision a sparkling white tile floor to replace the bruised and beaten linoleum.