My wife has been out of town for the past three days. No, I am not the stereotypical “helpless husband.” I can keep the kids fed and safe, and the house in relative order.

But things do get a bit haphazard around the edges.

On my own, I start drift. For the last three nights, for example: I have fallen asleep on the couch, reading in front of the fire. Then, sometime around 1:30 or 2:00, I wake up and shuffle my way off to bed. Sure I’m getting a full night’s sleep–just not in the same location.

I was reflecting on my disheveled sleeping pattern this morning as I was passing by my equally disheveled bed. I’ve written before about bed-making as a small, simple act that can make a difference in my day. So in preparation for my wife’s return,  I took that little bit of extra time this morning to make the bed.

And when I came home from work, I asked the kids to straighten out the pillows on the couch, and put away their clothes, and in general tidy up.

And I made sure to load up the dishwasher too.

The truth is: while I can keep the house in order by myself, it’s just a little more challenging to keep the house in order for myself. Like I said: on my own, I start to drift.

In about a half hour, my wife will be pulling in the driveway. She will be happy to see me, and happy to be home. And I will have the pleasure of knowing I made that I took steps to make that home just a little less chaotic and a little more serene.