Room Changes

I remember as a kid that my parents would often threaten to throw all of our things away if we wouldn't clean up our messes and keep our bedrooms reasonably clean. When we would protest that it was our room, and we should be able keep it how we wanted, they reminded us that it was actually their house, and thus technically their room, and that, as kids, we were completely at the mercy of their decisions. (We learned early about their use of hyperbole to drive home a point, though, so it wasn't very long that we actually took these threats seriously).

Now I am a grown-up. You would think that I would feel like my parents--that my kids' space is actually my space. But truly it's the other way around. I sure don't feel that their room is my room. I definitely don't feel like the kitchen, or office, or family is my room. Heck, I don't even feel like my own bedroom is my room because is is constantly being over-run by toys and other childhood accouterments that do not belong to me. Rather than growing up and having a non-negotiable command of it all, I grew up and discovered my parents' blatant bluff: that nothing in a house where children live actually belongs to the adults, regardless of the fact those adults provided and paid for every single thing in it.

Enter my new favorite One Direction song, "Night Changes."

No, I don't love the song because the title of it sounds like it refers to peed-on sheets that have to be changed in the wee hours of the morning. (Get it? Wee? I kill me.) Nor the night-sweats and other changes commonly associated with menopause. Honestly, I don't even love the song because it is particularly eloquent or meaningful. (I mean, let's face it people, only about two lines out of any One Direction song even make sense.) Nope, I love this song because the very first time I heard it, I absolutely knew that I was going to have to borrow the tune and add lyrics about the way that my sweet children mercilessly take over my bedroom on a daily basis.

Having just recently purged my room of (almost all) non-adult owned items, and kept it clean for about two days, I was noticing how their stuff kept stealthily creeping back in, covering the floor and piling up in the corners, and hearing this song helped me start to understand just how fast my room actually changes.

So, for your humming and/or singing pleasure, I give you, "Room Changes."

Walked in my room last night, almost sat on something red

Why are there Little People on my bed?

Everything I've ever cleaned

Looks the same as before.

I thought this was my room…thought my kids had their own space?

Why then, do cars and trucks surround the place?

Having my own room is all that I really want

I’m only getting older, babies

I can’t handle your messes lately

Don’t you know that it drives me crazy

Just how fast my room changes?

All the messes that I've cleaned already

Your Chapstick, shoes, and of course your teddy

Are back again way before I’m ready

‘Cause in a blink, my room changes...

It changes into being yours.

Made them clean tonight, told them I could take no more

(“Keep goin’, your Build-a-Bear’s behind the door…

Grab the vacuum, too, that baby powder wasn't my mess.”

Please my darlings do keep the stink-eyes to yourselves

You’re the ones that pulled the books off of my shelves

Having a clean room is all that I really want

I’m only getting older, babies

I can’t handle your messes lately

Don’t you know that it drives me crazy

Just how fast my room changes?

All the messes that I cleaned already

Your Chapstick, shoes, and of course your teddy

Are back again way before I’m ready

‘Cause in a blink, my room changes...

It changes into being yours

Walking in tonight, a five-year-old is in my bed

She’s sideways, the covers up over her head

Reminds me that this room will never really be mine

I’m only getting older, babies

I can’t handle your messes lately

Don’t you know that it drives me crazy

Just how fast my room changes?

All the messes that I cleaned already

Your Chapstick, shoes, and of course your teddy

Are back again way before I’m ready

‘Cause in a blink, my room changes...

It changes into being yours

It will always change, babies,

It will always change, babies,

It will always change to being yours...