This reminds me of an interaction between my little sister and I when we lived together. I’m the compulsive one. I remember coming home one day, beyond frustrated at how messy the house was when I’d just cleaned it. I started cleaning as soon as I got in and I can’t forget the look on my sister’s face when she turned around and said, “you’re not going to say anything?” Turns out she had just cleaned the whole house. Sometimes things that obsessive compulsive types (like me) see as messy or dirty are actually clean enough for government work. I’ve learned that self-awareness of compulsive tendencies is the first step towards working through them so I can be an easier person to share a living space with.

Reading your story reminded me of that interaction with my sister and what it taught me about myself. Hang in there, I’m living proof that we can (slowly, and with a lot of work) change. 💜