Dirty Dishes and Life’s Messes: Learning to Tackle the Chaos

Have you ever woken up and thought, “Okay, it’s time to get up and tackle this mess I’ve been putting off”? You stare at the pile of things you’ve ignored, whether it’s laundry, dishes, emails, or just general life responsibilities, and suddenly realize it’s become overwhelming.

I know that feeling all too well. As someone juggling chronic illness, school, part-time work, and keeping a household running, cleaning often gets shoved to the back burner. Not because I don’t care, but because some days, my body physically won’t let me keep up.

When Routines Fail and the Dishes Pile Up

My husband and I have tried to set up a routine to make things easier. But let’s be real, routines are great until life happens. Some days, I’m too sick to follow the plan. Some days, an off day turns into an off week. And suddenly, I find myself staring at the kitchen sink, thinking:

“Didn’t I just wash these dishes? How do they fill up so fast? I want to throw them all away.”

I’ve had that thought more times than I can count. It’s not that I mind doing dishes (I mean, let’s be honest, who actually enjoys them?), but standing at the sink causes pain. And Brett? He doesn’t like doing them either, but he’ll step in if he has to. Even so, that pile grows faster than we can keep up with.

The Dishes Are Life

At some point, I realized that dirty dishes are a metaphor for life.

I have a good day, I feel productive, and everything seems manageable. Then, out of nowhere, I turn around and, BAM, life has piled up again. Responsibilities, setbacks, emotions, unexpected chaos… all sitting there, waiting for me to deal with them.

It’s overwhelming, sure. But here’s the thing: just like dishes, life’s messes can be tackled one piece at a time.

Changing Perspective, One Dish at a Time

I used to look at that sink full of dishes and see defeat. Now, I try to see progress. Because the moment I start washing one dish, I’m taking control. And the same applies to life, when I take one step forward, no matter how small, I’m already moving in the right direction.

Not every day will be perfect. Some days, the dishes will stay in the sink. Some days, I’ll need grace over guilt. And that’s okay.

So, if you’re staring at your own metaphorical (or literal) pile of dishes today, feeling overwhelmed, remember: you don’t have to clean up everything all at once. Just start with one dish.

And if you need to throw some of them away? Well… I won’t judge.

-Payton Blackwood