Itās true that when you clean houses for a living, it's really hard to clean your own. When you get home and you see your own house, youāre like, "Oh gosh, more cleaning." I feel like thatās all I ever get to do is clean, but itās all I've really ever done my entire life. Even when I was a little girl, my mom would take me to help her clean our church, so I cleaned my church as well for most of my life.
Iām trying so hard to figure out what I really want to do with my life. Can I continue this lifestyle doing something thatās fairly easy, just laboring, that Iāve always done, and where I can easily get more work? I had another lady yesterday saying that when she retires, she hopes that I would take over her housework for her full time, and it just never stops. There are all these women that are wanting me to clean their houses, which I guess should be a compliment to me that they think Iāll do a good job. But itās a lot of hard work. Carrying vacuums, mops, and scrubbing toilets is not fantastic, but someone, I guess, has to do it. The toilets donāt clean themselves. š Itās a very humbling job. Itās not fancy; itās not glamorous. Itās not one where I get to wear high heels, although I do get to create my own schedule, which is what Iāll always do.
Iāll never be able to survive an office job thatās a 9-to-5. I think that I would literally jump off a bridge because the idea of being stuck in a little office all day long doing the same thing repetitively would absolutely make me crazy. I donāt know how neurotypical people do it. I donāt like to plan my days out. People ask me, "Oh, what days do you go clean?" and itās like, "Whatever days I feel like," you know? I donāt want to give myself a set schedule; I donāt want people to put me on a schedule either. (Pervasive drive for autonomy)ļæ¼
At the same time, I canāt function without a true schedule. I really struggle to get my tasks started. I end up waiting until the last minute, and then I am rushing around. But also, I get so tired anymore, and I keep telling myself, "Youāre allowed to sit down." I donāt have to push myself just because I want to get done as quickly as possible. I donāt want to take a bunch of breaks; I just want to get it over with. But at the same time, my body is screaming at me like, "Please sit down, Iām tired." And itās like, how are we this tired, but yet Iāve been doing this my whole life? Is this what Iām willing to do for years to come?
You try to figure out which of your childhood dreams is actually realistic and could become something that sustains you, ya know? Iāve heard people say that if you offer to play music for free, youāll always play music for free. I can tell you that as much as I've cleaned my whole life, Iāve played music my whole life for free, and I always will play music no matter if I make money at it or not. I know when I told my dad at 13 that I would be a famous musician one day and make a lot of money for the family, my dad laughed at me and said no, that it wasnāt possible for me, and not to stress about it. He said he would make sure I had enough money and that he would always ātake care of meā and the bills, for me to let that dream go. I was just thinking like, why is that so impossible for him? Why doesnāt he believe itās possible when he loved music as much as me? Maybe my dad didnāt think I was that good; I donāt know what he thought, but it doesnāt matter now.
As much as I have cleaned and have had people ask me to clean their houses, Iāve also had people ask me to play piano for their weddings. Iāve played in countless weddings for people, and I even wrote a song for a wedding in 2021. I wrote a song for my friends, Cole and Skylar, because Skylar said she wanted to walk down the aisle to āone of my originalsā, and I couldnāt believe she asked me to do it. š„ŗ Then I tell myself, I donāt wanna be the ātraveling wedding bandā either. I just donāt wanna think small anymore in 2026. Yet I know I have to think realistically.
As Iām continuing to heal the past trauma, itās like Iām starting to realize Iāve been thinking so small my whole life. Iāve been self-sabotaging, Iāve been undermining myself and being so hard on myself. Why didnāt I think dreams are possible? Is it just my dadās voice is in my head telling me itās not realistic, or what? All I know is healing IS possible, and the fact that Iām considering childhood dreams anymore is a huge milestone in this journey.
When I started this blog in 2023, all I could think about was ruminating on past relationships, and I couldnāt stop talking about past boyfriends over and over obsessively. Now here I am in 2026, talking about childhood dreams again. It feels really good, too. I donāt know what dreams will come true and what dreams will stay in my heart, but Iām open. Every day I tell the universe I surrender everything, and I receive whatās meant for me. Iām aligning myself with whatās meant for me, I am loosening my grip, and Iām slowing down. Iām convincing myself to stop watching the clock every day and start focusing on getting myself together more. Youāre not completely healed in one day. Itās a process. Surrender to the process and be patient and gentle with yourself. Take your life one day at a time. š«
5-29-26 at 2:20 p.m. (2222)