Tip for Grievers #18

If you don't regularly get your home professionally cleaned, do it.

Get a thorough cleaning. Go ahead and rearrange things the way you want them organized. Give yourself permission.

One of the greatest presents that Zoe has ever given me was cleaning and organizing my place in the weeks right after Tom's death. And not just Zoe. Ryan put in so many hours helping her. We sorted. We culled. Not Tom's stuff so much as my stuff, our collective stuff. Just too much damn stuff (and I keep hearing George Carlin in my head).

Then I hired the wonderful Fanny to come in and do a complete cleaning job. I can't tell you how much better it made me feel to have a sparkling clean house and dishes at my height. Silly stuff, but it buoyed my heart when I needed it most.