Once upon a time, I watched an Oprah show where she gave young, hot designer, Nate Berkus a brand new set of towels for his linen closet saying, "The state of a person's linen closet reveals a lot about that person's life." I distinctly remember folding towels the next morning - mismatched in color, style, and sizes and threadbare in different degrees - knowing that Oprah was right.
Now, it being Independence Day and all, I could be posting something about the Founding Fathers or the fireworks popping outside my bedroom window, but tonight I went into the laundry room to check the dryer (my oldest child will be marching in her first parade in the morning) and found the entire shelf full of linens scattered on the floor. I'm not exactly sure of the who? why? and how? of this catastrophe. I just know that Oprah's statement resounded in my brain. My linens are, right now, scattered, unfolded, mismatched, and worn out ... what does that say about me?
a) I am the mother of many.
b) I am frugal and will use something until it is worn out completely. (Yes, that means my towels have a future in the rag business.)
c) I accept gifts as they come to me. (The bath towels I received as a family wedding gift are embroidered with everyone's name, mostly too small to wrap around our bodies, and wildly different colors.)
d) I am flexible. (I don't have to have everything folded exactly the same and starched to perfection.)
e) I value relationships more than things.
Perhaps Oprah would disagree with this assessment. I'm sure Nate Berkus' fluffy, white cotton towels are still fluffy and white this many years later. They both may say there is a lack of self-respect in keeping such a haphazard closet and a personal devaluation in not replacing something that is so sorely in need of it. I disagree, and I wonder...
What is the State of Your Linen Closet?
Towels and wash cloths folded neatly on a shelf over the washer and dryer and matching in color scheme for the most part, although most of them have seen better days. My favorite is a pink and white towel that came from a set that I had in the first bathroom I didn't have to share with anyone. I was lucky enough as a teenager to have my own bedroom and full bathroom to myself. So, my mom bought me matching towels and wash cloths. Only one towel has survived.
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