Sleeping On Dirty Sheets
“Has this ever happened to you?”
I'm not the only one sleeping on dirty sheets, and this needs to be discussed.
Why?
Understanding, I guess. Isn't that what we all want?
Dusty Sheets
My sheets are dirty this time because the first floor of my house is covered in a thick layer of sheetrock and concrete dust. I'm remodeling my home while living in it, and, well, that's what happens for way longer than you'd like when you live in a construction zone.
And even though my husband covers our bed with a moving blanket each day, all the debris somehow migrates to our bed.
Wet Sheets
These past weeks aren't the first time I've slept on dirty sheets.
Some of my most vivid sheet memories are of early parenthood--when everything was wet.
You may know I have eight kids. That's a lot of sleepless nights with toddlers and babies.
It went like this:
My newborn wakes again.
My clothes, and his, are drenched because we haven't quite got breastfeeding down.
I change my baby into dry clothes.
Then my toddler climbs in bed next to us.
I'm too exhausted to put either back in bed.
My toddler's diaper leaks.
I lie on a wet bed in wet clothes, moving them to the dry part.
It takes me 30 seconds to fall asleep--too tired to care.
Sick Baby Sheets
Then there is the lovely and poignant memory of my little girl waking me up, very sick.
I grab buckets and towels as she begs me not to move her and pleeease hold her as she wrenches. She misses both bucket and towel, but not the sheets, and drifts back to sleep.
Then, very gently, I lay her on top of me-shielding her from the dirty bed but not letting her go. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world, holding my sick child, lying sleepless on those sheets.
Can't Afford Detergent/Don't Have a Washing Machine Sheets
A few months ago, we moved into this fixer-upper, and our dryer broke in the process. So, after years of working my way up the economic ladder to an in-house laundry room, I was back to the washeteria, and what I encountered reminded me that washing one's clothes are not a chore to be despised but a luxury.
Arriving with my bougie "Tide with April Fresh Downy," the scent of sweat-drenched old clothes hit me. And I remembered how many people (including me once) couldn't afford fancy fresh scents. So instead, they are doing well to use Dollar Store detergent, stretching it way past its recommended amount per load.
I also looked back on how hard it was to scrape together enough money to do laundry when I was younger. And how difficult it was to haul it all without a car.
No Running Water Sheets
So, there it is. I am sleeping on dirty sheets once again—the great leveler of humanity.
God, you know, some people don't even have sheets. Or clean water to drink, much less to wash.
A Good Lesson
I am managing to live with things being filthy for a while. And like every other inconvenient or horrible thing that happens in life, there is always something to consider that makes one better.
Dirty sheets. Good memories. A time to consider others. The good stuff in life.
We need to hear from you. Comment below with your experience.
Tami Green is a lifestyle coach from Texas. She focuses on personal empowerment, social consciousness, authenticity and helps others create an entire life that aligns with ones’ true self.