10. What does cleaning represent in your life?
Cleaning is a way of communing with my ancestors. The female ones, anyway. I put on music and fold my towels the way my grandmother taught me. I dust the objects and books on my shelf like my mother, so that the place feels reclaimed and fresh. Respected. My partner says I clean like a tornado, before he can turn around everything's like new. The women in my family survived a war, changed countries, raised families, and took pride in how they were able to thrive on what was at times very little money. When my mother visits and says, "I feel right at home here," it makes me happy.
Marlene
Los Angeles, CA, USA