A fully stocked kitchen is one benefit of renting a house rather than utilizing a hotel room. It’s even more important when the reason for getting away was our writer’s retreat. Eating out is not an option when you need to spend as much time as possible working on your project.

My night to cook had arrived and I had all the tools necessary to whip up a culinary masterpiece…or at least some comfort food. Since the house we rented could house 24 people, we had plates, glasses, and silverware in abundance.

As the meal was cooking, I began to gather items to set the table. I wanted to create an experience, rather than just providing plates and silverware. The house had plenty of tablecloths, napkins and special dishes to choose from. It was fun to select them and add candles for more atmosphere.

It was a different story when choosing the place settings. Accommodating a large number of guests required a lot of dishes. Unlike the plates which were stored as sets, the silverware was a mixed mess. There was more than one style divided in not one, but two drawers. When putting clean dishes away, it seemed that the silverware was put in whatever drawer was open. Finding a matching set was difficult.

I had come to a “fork in the road” decision (pun intended). I could stop and organize the drawer…or not. 

One of my favorite things to do is get things in order. Even my spices are alphabetized. Before you snicker, it IS easier to find what you are looking for when you have over 20 spices. I simply enjoy the process of cleaning out closets, drawers…you name it. I find it very satisfying to organize and clean. Writing, sewing, reading…any form of downtime seems more rewarding when the house is clean and organized.

I decided to resist the urge to do so at the rental house. Time was one problem – tackling this project would take time I didn’t have. But the more important reason was to avoid my perfectionist tendencies and desire to have things my way.  So, I ignored the disarray and hunted for matching sets for each place setting…even if every plate had a different set.

The bonus was realizing how relaxed I could be when things were not “in their place.” What was (and is) really important was the conversations we had as friends sharing a meal. It didn’t matter if the silverware drawer was straightened. By resisting the urge to satisfy my pet peeve, I got to enjoy time with friends, instead of wasting it sorting forks.

And THAT was MORE satisfying.