John gets to do the dishes and laundry and does a better job than I use to, but differently. All the hours he gives me by putting our house in order buys me time to create my books. We used to argue over who gets to do these jobs.
“They’re MINE!” “No they’re not! You had your turn yesterday!” “Too bad; first one there gets them and I’m faster than you!” “ Ha, ha, ha, I got here first. Too bad for you!” was usually what I got to say because I’d push John out of the way to get to the sink of dirty dishes. And no, we don’t throw them against the side of our neighbor’s garage. We wash them by hand in the sink. I miss the job for several reasons:
I’ve heard many writers say, “House work is SO much easier than creating a story. I’ll just revacum again and think about my blank pages and plot.
The process of writing and illustrating a children’s book is complex, takes months or years, and is convoluted, with many parts mixing, changing places, coming, going, and sometimes coming again. But dishes; you just do them and they’re they’re done! The FEELING OF ACCOMPLISHMENT is immediate.
Who doesn’t like to play in water anyway? In John’s case, also artistically, because he arranges the dry dishes in beautiful heaps and patters.
And who doesn’t like a good “That’a boy!” If I don’t notice John kitchen sculpture he says, “Did you notice I finally did the dishes?” I stop what I’m doing, rush in and admire the finished project.
It feels good to arrange pieces of things into a shape,  an orderly form. After all it’s a semblance of God’s creation of the universe. Then of course the washer gains the God- like quality: JOB SECURITY! God’s creations are without end and so is housework.

What a nice gift I give to John by allowing him to do housework! What a great gift of time he gives to me by doing them!  nancymauerman.com