10 Ways Doing Laundry Is a Metaphor For Having Difficult Conversations

Adulthood = Repeatedly Doing Chores

1
If your mom always did it for you, you’re at a disadvantage as an adult.
You’ve got to know how to clean up your own, crusty messes.

2
If someone else avoids doing it, they probably need some help.
Not feeling great about life leads to the avoidance of doing physical and emotional chores.  

3
The more often you do it, the less intimidating it is.
Don’t let little gross things pile up into a mountain that’s horrifically overwhelming.  

4
Air out the clean, not the dirty.
Keep your nastiness as private as possible until it’s been cleaned up—there will be less shit on the line.

5
If you want friends, or a career, or a relationship, you have to do a lot of it.
Having intense conversations and doing laundry are both cleansing maintenance activities required of functional adults.

6
There are energy-efficient ways to do it.
Don’t wash only three shirts in a cycle and use cold water more often. Also, no need to go causing needless drama.

7
And the more often you do it, the less likely you are to ruin something.
You eventually intuit what’s quite delicate and what you should wash with bleach on hot. Misunderstanding people = not yet knowing what settings they have.

8
It’s assertive self-care.
Doormats and unwashed underpants are both looked down upon by society.   

9
You don’t have to do it all at once.
You can wash today and fold tomorrow. The conversational process sometimes takes a while, too. And honestly, there will always be more to do.

10
It’s worth doing, even when you don’t want to.
You’ll get a little sense of accomplishment when you see that folded pile. Same feeling when you say what needs saying, and hug somebody afterward.