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I Know It Is Just Laundry, But For Me It Is Time

From Kate,

Today our sweetest girl is 22 months old. Celebration and smoochies all around today. 🙂

It is our ritual that Getty and I sleep together for all naps and overnight sleepovers. We are dorm room roommates without the gross boys and loud music. 🙂

It is some special time that we get to spent together everyday. It is special time that although we are sleeping, we are still sharing some good snuggle time.

Today I woke up earlier from our nap and I slithered out of bed as quiet as I could. As I walked into the living room there was an obvious mountain of laundry that needed to be done. Although I am not the biggest fan of folding clean clothes I will say that there are some items that I love to fold. I love folding Getty’s clothes. I love folding her blankets, her sheets, anything. I have become very found of folding anything that is Getty’s.

There is something wonderful about washing her clothes. Something so amazing about folding her blankets just right. A feeling of complete contentment when I hang up her clothes.

I wonder if this seems weird to another person, but folding her clothes is a ritual that I need. It grounds me emotionally with every fold. I even refold some blankets, because it didn’t feel right. It needs to be perfect. She deserves perfect. I know pretty OCD.

In the past I would have never wanted to wash anything of Getty’s. My worry was that if I washed her clothes I would forget her scent if she was no longer with us. That thought consumed me and really paralyzed my heart. I think at one point I had exhausted her entire wardrobe in fear of washing anything. But what I found was with time, came permission.

I started to look at her clothes and blankets as more of a celebration. I started to actually go out and buy her clothes, I even bought her sizes that she was not fitting yet, but knew in the near future, she would. I became frantic about washing all of her stuff to make sure everything was just right for Getty.

Every load of Getty’s laundry is a celebration that she is thriving with a disease that wants to take her life. I don’t think SMA realized how big of a fight it was going to encounter with Getty. She is a heavyweight boxer and Getty is showing her opponent who is boss.

Every daily load of laundry is another day fought with valor and grace.

So when I see the mound of laundry of her’s I love diving in to get my fold on. 🙂 I know that I can’t battle SMA with my folding abilities, but it gives me the ability to control how fluffy and comfy Getty will be. And each time I fold her clothes, it also means time for me. I get to be blessed with more time with Getty.

You might be asking do I give the same care to Mark and my clothes? Um….nope. It is a huge and mind you, growing mountain of clothes. I hate folding our clothes. 🙂

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4 Comments

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  • Morgan says:

    Kate this brought me to tears. Thank you Getty for teaching us the fullness of life. Kate and Mark thank you for persevering, even when the world told you that you should not.

    Blessed. So blessed by you three 🙂

    Cooper too 😉

    Love, hugs and prayer to you all.
    Happy 22 Months Miss Getty Storm, I love you!!

  • Jen Peters says:

    I love this post! I remember buying Ella a Christmas shirt on clearance just after she was diagnosed. I bought it for this year and it said, “I light up my Daddy’s life.” I bought it and cried because I didn’t know if she would ever get to wear it. But I bought it and what do you know? She wore it constantly this Christmas season. It was kind of like a battle I won 🙂 I know exactly how you feel. I however do not like to do laundry :/ But, I do love buying her clothes and LOVE when she grows out of them and I can pack them away. I just put away a ton of clothes this weekend. Happy 22 months Getty!!!

  • Lara Long says:

    Kate,
    I have never read anything else that so eloquently and subtlety conveyed a mother’s love for her child. It moved me. Thank you.
    I admire you tremendously.
    Lara

  • Liz Hornbrook says:

    I just read this post…again.

    I wish every mom, every person would read your pages, your thoughts that you so graciously share with us.

    You, your family, little Miss Getty, has touched us, touched me beyond measure.

    Thank you for blessing us…keep fighting Getty, we need you!

    Liz

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