Make your bed. It’s a silly notion, I completely understand. Why make something only to unravel and mess it up every night? Why put the time and energy into something no one will see other than your partner or maybe some family members?

Growing up I never ever made my bed. I wasn’t raised in a household where chores were a requirement and when they eventually did become one, they certainly didn’t obligate me to make my bed. I don’t even remember my bed to be honest. I imagine it was shades of pink and most definitely contained a number of stuffed animals, but beyond that I can’t clearly recall.

Going away to college, I do remember putting some energy into deciding exactly which bedding I wanted. For the first time I was required to share a bedroom and I wanted a clear message to my dormitory roommate that I was not going to be an average, run of the mill college freshman. I needed to express my bad-assery, my “don’t mess with me” attitude and surely the black comforter I selected indicated I was best left alone. But…I still never took the time to tidy up my sleeping quarters.

I ask though, who hasn’t walked into a hotel room and promptly noticed the bed, maybe dropped our travel weary body onto the soft mattress, marveled at the silky soft sheets, the extra pillows? Nothing says hello more than a welcoming bed. Even then though, we aren’t required to make the bed, we have paid for and relish the luxury of room service, after all. And coming back after a day of sight seeing or business meetings, we welcome the sight of a tidy bed.

I’m not exactly sure where I heard this particular message or when, but I do know that occasionally something I run across tickles my brain and sticks with me. The recitation was this: if you do nothing else today, make your bed. The mere act of simply pulling your sheets tight, straightening the comforter, arranging the pillows, means that without much effort you’ve already accomplished something that day. And once you’ve put together, realized one undertaking, no matter how minor, it becomes much easier to fulfill another…and another.

When I’m experiencing a rough day or things are particularly strenuous and I have no direction in mind, when I feel lost or low and I’m spinning my wheels, when I look around me and think…what am I doing? Why can’t I (fill in the blank)….??? I can retreat to my room and the first thing I see is my bed. The order, the tidiness…is an affirmation. And I know that maybe today wasn’t my day to make grand accomplishments but I still carried through with one thing.  And that is enough. One footstep at at time.