I’ve heard, “Your kids won’t remember what your house looks like.” I respond with, respectively, they will! They’ll remember if their mom had clean sheets for them on their bed. They’ll remember if their mom cleaned their room, or not, and helped them organize their toys. They’ll remember if the kitchen had warm food for their bellies. They may even remember the exact smell of something you baked, or cooked, like homemade cinnamon rolls on special occasions. They may even associate them as a hug from Grandma, a recipe handed down through generations. They will remember how you cared for them, and how that made them feel.

They will remember if the refrigerator had food in it, but they won’t remember what toys eventually got tossed. Maybe a couple favorite toys will be remembered. More importantly is how and who played with them with their favorite toys. They’ll remember the sound of your voice singing while doing the dishes. If you had clean dishes for every meal, or if you had so many dirty dishes it attracted critters. They will remember the look of the Christmas tree and those nuts placed in glass dishes on special red table coverings. It does matter.

They will remember the blades of grass in the front yard, the branches on the trees, and how it felt to run barefoot and play. They may even remember the exact path they could take to ride their bike and how far Dad would let them ride it. They WILL remember the games they came up with in their head. The games that helped form their brains many years later.

They will remember if you had dry towels for them after a warm bath, and if you gave them baths. Some may even remember having that fun bubble bath, and what was on the label. They will remember how the sunlight shined in the dining room. The strong glow in the mornings with little particles floating around at just the right angle.

They will remember if you cried because you missed your own parent that passed away too soon. They may even remember the exact words their other parent tells them when they see the other parent crying. It does matter. They will remember. They will remember if there were piles and piles of dirty laundry, or if they always had clean clothes to wear. It does matter.

They will remember. Your home is a little sacred church. Homemaking is holy work that is remembered for generations. When a generation dies, what is remembered? The home, how that person made you feel in that home. The food that person made. The little things they did in the house to make it a home and bless it for others. The little or big things they did to make sure you knew you were loved. They will remember if you made it to their concert, game, or school play. They may even remember the exact words you say during or after that event. Never downplay the importance of your words and how crucial they can be in each moment.

Take your homemaking seriously, as you are forming memories for the next generation. Some days are very hard. Some days are spent in our pajamas just trying to catch up. Every time a mother does the dishes, laundry, cooks, and cleans God sees that and knows what you are doing is holy work, keeping the church alive.