The good news is that I most decidedly do not have PPCD (Pre-Pesach Cleaning Disorder) this year. Perhaps due to the pregnancy, or a throat infection, or Eden's throat infection, or nutty work schedule, my recent pre-disposition to laziness, or a combination of all of these.
I have never done this little for Pesach.
Actually, I have never done this little for so long a period in general.
We aren't making seder, and haven't even been asked to bring anything, except our beautiful daughter who will hopefully grace us with a decent Mah Nishtana, or at least part of it (time is running out, and she still doesn't know it! Does that make me a terribleJewish mom?). We gave the house a good clean a few weeks ago when my parents were here. The apartment is small, and what you see is mostly what you get. I'm not rifling through the pockets in my non-preg jeans to find chametz in there, nor am I looking through old clothes of Eden's - they are all packed away. Any chametz sitting in any of other place that I haven't looked at in a year (since last Pesach cleaning!) is either inedible or will be declared ownerless and as dust in the wind.
We still have the kitchen left to do. But even that - I am emptying out 2 tall floor to ceiling cabinets, and everything, including dishes and food, can go in there. Counters, sinks, stoves, fridge, are all bleachable. Oven, microwave - nuke it with poisonous cleaner and turn it on high. Kill it and its not chametz, and more than that I don't care.
Everything else is being shut up, sold, and not cleaned. I'm not buying much more than I would for a regular week - even less, since I love Matzah and jelly so much. I haven't cooked much in the past 5 months, and I don't expect to start now.
If I had thought about it, I would have tried to buy less chametz, starting even before Purim. I resolve to try to do so next year - that would make me feel less guilty about doing so little. I do so hate to throw good food in the garbage, and we have orzo, barley, kusemet, french fries....
People will try to tell you that there is a spiritual side to Pesach cleaning. That getting rid of the chametz in your house also enables you to get rid of the chametz in your soul. I suppose this is true, but is it maybe easier to look for the chametz in your soul when you aren't worn out and sick of cleaning your house? This is just a theoretical question, I do not commit to spending hours soul searching this month. I'll just try the usual - let's be a nicer, better, more caring and understanding person this month than I was last month. Maybe I'll even count Omer and get through the whole thing.
Don't think that I don't feel guilty for this. We aren't driving ourselves up the wall cleaning. We aren't planning a seder until 3 AM. We live in Israel and can buy everything we need the morning of the holiday at the local grocery store - especially since we eat Kitniot! We didn't spend a ridiculous amount of money on new clothes, cleaning services, and are not planning on buying kosher for pesach, kitniot free, gebrochts free MacNCheese. We are both working over chol hamoed, saving our vacation days. We just aren't stressing.
So what do we do? Sit back, enjoy the spring holiday, enjoy the seder discussion, the prayers, and time with family. Hopefully we'll take a little day trip with Eden (anyone want to join?). Being happy, content, mellow (sounds like my MIL's description of retirement. I suppose I could be happy retiring, for a week or so.) Sit still and try to feel my baby kick.
I do feel the need to justify and defend myself. Generations of Pesach nuttiness is too ground into me. How many generations will it take to introduce calm and serenity into Judaism?
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