A Clean Home

My brother Neil sent me and our other siblings this poem two weeks ago in an email. He said he had listened to Elder Perry's recent conference address about Families (great talk!) and when he talked about our homes, this impression hit my brother and he whipped this thing out:

WHICH CLEAN DO WE MEAN?

What type of clean do we mean?

Toys and papers strewn around - 

wrappers and socks on the ground.

Who could have done this

and who is raising such raff?

Though messes lay strewn

Clean has more than one path.

One type of clean can be seen,

the other not so clear.

One is of course important, 

but the other much more dear.

Before we fret the carpet's condition,

or the status of beds and toys,

Think quickly what must also be checked,

and brings much greater joys.

God cares much less the size of home,

or the placement of kids' possessions within.

the clean to remember when messes abound

is a home, in the first place, clean from sin.

Be careful your chores dutiful charge

and your stern consequences for making a mess.

Be sure they feel love and your acceptance,

and of the life's messes of greater duress.

- by Neil Hibbert

Pretty good, huh! He said he wrote that in about 10 minutes. I think he's got a natural gift there behind all those fatherly responsibilities. He elaborated a little bit more:

basically, what I mean is I had a picture in my mind of my messy house but a friend of ours over, who though they noticed messes here and there, they felt love at home. It's hard to have love at home when a mom or dad is stirring clean-tention (a spin on contention). As long as those who come into our homes feel there is love there, it is in the most important sense, truly clean. 

I thought it went along perfectly with the thoughts I'd read recently about our Home being a temple. Also goes along nicely with this quote by Sister Marjorie Hinckley:

So~ Amen brother!