Last week, I made the argument against making one's bed daily. It was a lot of work for a little bit of convenience, and simply seemed illogical. So, I decided to try an experiment: I vowed to make my bed every morning this past week, and the following are my results.
Day 1: It was really refreshing to have a clean, well-made bed today. I felt like I had done something wonderful, even powerful, and spent the day at my desk instead of curled up in the blankets.
Day 2: I almost forgot to make my bed before I headed out to church that morning, but I remembered. When I got home, it was nice to lounge across blankets that weren't crumpled in random spots that made sitting uncomfortable. It also made a pretty good impression on some friends that stopped by, which was nice.
Day 3: I'll admit, I got a bit lazy this day. I was running late for class, and instead of tucking the blankets nicely around the corner, I just laid it out as straight as five seconds would allow. Coming home, this actually looked worse to me than simply leaving the bed unmade. I made a mental note of that interesting fact.
Day 4: Today was a bit easier, but started to feel rather unnecessary. While I remembered to make my bed and had plenty of time to do it, I wasn't looking forward to it. I did, however, finish making it with a few spare minutes before I had to leave, so it was nice to lay on a freshly made bed and scroll through Facebook.
Day 5: The laziness came back, and instead of putting my two blankets together on top, I folded the topmost one and laid it at the bottom of the bed. Sure, it still looked fully made, but the thought that it wasn't just "right" kept nagging me throughout my classes, and so when I came home, I made the bed fully. It didn't really change my mood, but it at least felt like an accomplishment.
Day 6: This day, I made an active effort to make the bed as perfectly as I had on Day One. Instead of feeling the same kind of power I felt then, I just thought I had wasted some precious "getting ready" time, and left the house feeling not so put together as the past few days.
Day 7: Day Five's laziness came to me, and I folded my top blanket again. It wasn't really that I had anywhere to get to in time, but that I didn't really want to keep doing the experiment full out. While the made bed looked nice, I had finally realized it didn't need to be a daily thing.
And then it clicked. Making my bed wasn't supposed to be something to do every morning, but I also wasn't going to revert back to only making it when I changed the sheets. There was a balance I needed to find in making my bed, and there's a balance for everyone. For some, maybe it is making the bed only once a month. For others, a daily routine suits them just fine. I had to find my own personal balance, and this week, I did. And while I won't be making my bed every day from now own, I certainly will be doing it more often than I had before the experiment. Making your bed can be a joyous experience, if one only finds the proper balance.
So I invite you to try your own experiment. Go one whole week in which you never make your bed, and go another week making it every day. Pretty soon, you'll find your own balance, and make sure to share your experience with others around you! Making a bed may not change lives, but it sure does influence them.
