Don't Fold my Undies!

As a teenager, my brother used to tease me about my culinary ineptitude. He figured that once I left home, my survival would depend greatly on my access to cereal and milk. But fast forward a decade later, and it turns out that I'm quite the domestic goddess! I cook, bake, wash dishes, clean floors, scrub toilets, make beds... And surprisingly, I genuinely enjoy these tasks. Well, perhaps the toilet scrubbing leaves a bit to be desired, but you get my point.

There is one domestic skill, however, that continues to elude me... folding laundry. My husband has a passionate distaste for the way I handle his "unmentionables". To be honest, his disdain for my folding technique, or lack thereof, extends to each and every article of clothing.

But in my defense, my husband folds laundry like an old Filipino woman! Literally, he was taught this skill by his stepmother's mother, Lola. To make matters even worse, he hangs laundry like an old Greek woman! Once again, literally, he was taught the art of hanging laundry by his Greek grandmother, Yia Yia.

Now, I have to imagine that his technique is a slightly watered down version of what these women are capable of. But based on his aptitude, I can only guess that these two women are laundry masters! If doing laundry was an Olympic sport, they would be fighting head to head for the gold. They’re like silk samurai, or nylon ninjas, maybe even, textile Titans!

The truth is… I never stood a chance.

I have to sigh as I watch my husband, so carefully and mindfully, folding our kids cartoon underoos into little origami masterpieces. He goes to great lengths to get the perfect crease down our stained and threadbare pajama pants. He even hangs our laundry inside-out with the precision of a great artist.

I have a hard time admitting when I’m not the best at something. Even when I’m clearly outmatched, my Aries fire will blaze with confidence. But in this particular circumstance, I will humbly admit defeat.

I will hand over our detergent, fabric softener, clothespins, and plastic basket. My husband has truly earned the honor of laundry master. But as we all know, with great power comes great responsibility,

"So Honey, please don't forget to handwash my unmentionables!"