The Bench
A saga of clutter and self-care
I’m not sure when my kitchen bench became a catchall for everything that didn’t have a proper place. Kitchen gadgets that belong in the storage underneath, random items that need to go elsewhere in the house—basically anything that wasn’t being used, yet never quite made it to its final destination.
Every time I walked into the kitchen, there it was, staring at me. And since I’m in the kitchen multiple times a day, that’s a lot of staring.
It annoyed me…and yet, I did nothing about it. It was always on my mental to-do list, and eventually, I even added it to a real to-do list, hoping that would make me feel more accountable.
Spoiler: it didn’t.
“The Bench,” as it’s now referred to, became a running joke between me and my mid-life coach. She suggested I clean it up, and I’d smile, nod, and say, “I’ll get to it… maybe tomorrow… when I have more time.”
You know, the same way we all say we’ll do things we don’t really want to do.
Organizing The Bench became symbolic of my life. There were things I wanted to fix and improve, but I kept pushing them off until later, when I thought I’d have more time or energy.
Lately, though, things have shifted.
I’ve started putting myself first more often, which, I’ll admit, feels weird to even type.
I used to think putting everyone else first was my job—kids, homeschooling, house stuff, partner. My well-being? Well, that could wait until later.
Except, here’s the thing: later never comes.
That realization hit hard when I noticed how much better I felt after making time for what brought me joy. A hike alone, a quiet coffee break, or just time to read a book without interruptions.
When I made those little shifts, I was a better mom, a more present homeschool parent, and a happier wife. Turns out, putting myself first wasn’t selfish—it was necessary.
Which brings me back to The Bench.
With a gentle nudge (fine, more of a push) from my coach, I finally tackled it. She gave me the classic advice: just get started, set a timer, play a song, stop thinking and do it.
And if I’m being honest, I think I spent more time curating the perfect witchy playlist than I did cleaning the bench. But once the music started, I got into it.
Maybe it was the fall vibes (this was the week before fall officially started) or the fact that I had just checked out a stack of books about witches.
Either way, I was really feeling those October vibes.
And you know what?
The bench is clean. It didn’t take that long, but the impact? Huge.
I don’t walk into the kitchen feeling that little twinge of dread anymore. Instead, I feel lighter, like I’ve actually crossed something off my never-ending list.
It’s amazing how such a small task can have such a big effect. Now I feel like I can tackle more.
Maybe I’ll even get to the pile of stuff in the corner of my bedroom.
Maybe…
