Windows

I stood in my family room, looking at the freshly washed windows I had once loved. Something was wrong. Where was the light?

My eyes scanned up and down, wondering what the problem was? And then, I saw it.

Window screens.

I hate window screens. They are perpetually bent, never quite fitting as tightly as I’d like. They also collect spiderwebs and dust and dirt in the corners, which makes them look nasty. Lastly, screens darken a window better than storm clouds in tornado season. I just hate them.

Also, I live in Texas. For those of you who don’t know, Texas has three seasons: summer, winter, and bug. Bug is the longest season…sometimes it lasts all year long. The last thing I ever want to do is open my window and let the heat, humidity, cold, dirt or bugs in my house.

No, ma’am.

Well, on this particular day, I couldn’t stand it anymore. Those window screens had made their last appearance. Feeling mischievous, I took the screen off of one window.

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!!

It was like a lightbulb turned on. Oh boy. I went to another window and took off its screen. More light. All of a sudden, I couldn’t stop. I removed the screens from every single window on the bottom floor.

I went back to my family room and sat, enjoying the sparkling windows and the light that poured into my house. I marveled at the difference. Why hadn’t I done this before?

Here’s why: I kept thinking that I should have window screens. Every house has screens on their windows. Screens were supposed to let me enjoy the gentle outdoor breezes, right? It’s just how things are done. But for me, here in Texas, it didn’t make sense. So, almost 10 years after moving here, I finally realized that I didn’t need them, or even want them.

It’s been just over a year now, and I’m still loving my bare windows. Mostly, I love that I created a house that makes sense for me, instead of keeping things because someone said I should.