Why is it so hard to look after old things than new?

When we are young, our bodies are in maintenance for when we get older. They say, prepare your body and mind to keep fit and young. Having done all that, I still find my body is not behaving the way I though it would/should.

Looking around me, we used to rebuild a new home every eight years so we were always used to new. We used to update our cars yearly or so – again, used to new. Easy to look after and clean. Now, with the finances not the same, as no working income, we would be unable to rebuild and move anyway.

We have been in the same home for 26 years which we love – it is on the water, plus it is our dream home and our son, then 25, built it when he came out of his builder’s/carpenter’s apprenticeship. I look around and everything seems to have marks on it. I clean, I wipe. My husband is good at doing the maintenance, but it just does not stay clean like it used to. There are only the two of us and all I seem to do is wipe off finger marks from everything that is touched once. Maybe I need to not wear my glasses in the house and would not see it, as my husband says!

I feel like I am cleaning up after children with all the finger marks and general cleaning. Yes, when we first built, it was easy to clean; would whisk over in no time and would stay clean. Back then, we had a pile of visitors – as we had moved from city to waterfront – so it felt like a motel or a café. We loved it. Now sadly, the mind is willing but the body is not to be on ‘duty’ of keeping a diary of people booking in. Also, so many of our old friends have passed over, so we are blessed to still be here.

The car, when new, never seemed too dirty, but now needs a wash nearly every week. Again, the mind is willing yet the body is not. We were fortunate when we bought the car we got a great deal – a free wash for the lifetime of the car’. I go there and the receptionist makes me a coffee whilst I read the paper. Again, by the time I am home, the car has finger prints and does not look like the new one I drove out of the car wash only hours ago.

I replace things to keep me interested in the home: I tell my husband it’s cheaper than moving. They look good for a while then need updating. As when I have said we need to move, my husband always says, “I hope you’re very happy”, not “I want to move”. I look around and see all my treasures and pleasures and think of resettling and repacking/unpacking; all too much.

I am content where we are as have everything we need, although I do wish did not have to drive the hour to go to a worthwhile shopping centre or anything needed. Every time I go to ‘town’, the day just goes. I have so many little things to do as where we live there are not too many amenities for me as everything I do is ‘out of town’. Past the roundabout, I go with my list as often as possible – as possible as the body allows these days.

They say everything old is new again. Well, how about renewing my body so it does not feel so off?! Or renewing the things that I want to stay clean a little longer? Then again, it is the exercise that is just annoying when I have just wiped the kitchen doors and stand back: looks good. I go back and there are those dreaded finger marks there to tease me again – go on I dare you to get rid of me.

I am very blessed I have a ‘house fairy’ every few weeks, so I think I will do what they miss. No one ever does your home the way you can. My body stops me from doing too much, yet it tricks me go on do a little more. Then, of course, we know you suffer. So you pick up the slack to keep yourself happy so that you can do some things just not others.

So you do what you can do to make life happy, as my husband says ”you’re the only one that sees or worries about them”. I will blame my dear darling, house proud mother as it was her pet dislike to clean and then see a mark.

Today I am not wiping off any marks – they will be there tomorrow. I know that for sure.

Do you find it harder to take care your home as you get older? Do you have someone to help?