Laundry: The Neverending Story

This post was originally posted on my Facebook page on July 2, 2019.

Just like a family vacation, a week away at Nationals can be a crazy, chaotic, activity-filled romp that makes you long for the moment you arrive back at home.  But a seasoned dance mom knows that the Zen moment of relief that overtakes you as you step inside your door will not last.  You see, in the back of your mind, you are fully aware that there is a mountain of responsibility awaiting your attention.  That burden, that parasite, that joy killer is waiting in your trunk; no one, but no one, will tackle it for you.  That beast goes by the name LAUNDRY.

Now, all moms have to deal with doing laundry (and if there are moms reading this that don’t have to, please contact me directly to share your secret).  As much as we want to flop down onto the couch and take a nap upon our arrival home, we know that leaving those dirty clothes to marinate in our car will do nothing except cause more trauma.  Have you ever gone into a car after a day of leaving soiled laundry in it?  Yeah, that’s an experience that everyone can do without.  Being the responsible parent that you are, you won’t let those shirts, bottoms, bathing suits, and nasty underwear fester for too long before begrudgingly hauling the load into the house to get it started in the washing machine.  

But we dance moms have some additional considerations to deal with when we return from a week-long dance event.  Not only do we have the typical vacation laundry to wash, but we also have to deal with sweaty, wrinkled, rolled-up, crusty costumes that have limped through a tough, intense competition season.  Many of these cannot withstand the harsh treatment of a commercial washing machine, so other steps are often necessary to remove those funky, otherworldly odors.  So while you’re cycling through loads of regular laundry in your machines, you might also be setting up an area to spray costumes down with vodka or fabric refreshers (or setting up an outdoor space to hang them in the sun), naively hopeful that the powers of nature and science might help you).  Deep down, though, you know that the tears of Jesus would be powerless to entirely eradicate the stench, but you resolve to do your best under these most difficult circumstances.

This meme captures how overpowered I feel when I take a look at the pile of laundry waiting for my attention when we return home from Nationals.  Between the typical laundry and the costumes, there is just too much funk floating around to leave it be. As much as I want to enjoy some downtime, the knowledge that I have to tackle this chore nags me on a subconscious level, and I am unable to adequately chill out anyway.  Best to tackle the beast before it grows even larger and insurmountable.  

Unlike most people, laundry will always be there for us.

Work hard, have fun! – Danielle

If you like this meme, check out Do We Have Everything?