The Elusive Shower

I have always showered daily (or nightly). Always. First, because that’s how we did things in my family when I was growing up. Later, because it was ingrained in me. When I became a mother, because it was 20 minutes of peace that I did not feel guilty demanding. Plus, it seemed necessary with all of the sweat, milk, spit up, etc. I know not everyone showers daily. I know people have different reasons for choosing their shower schedules. I never fully understood why someone would choose not to shower daily (or so it seemed) - until now. I now know that some people intend to shower daily, and really want to, but it just doesn’t happen. These people are victims of the elusive shower. Sadly, I am one of these people from time to time. Here’s how it happens. I am typically a night showerer. However; I might, for some reason, take a shower one morning instead. That night, I’ll skip the shower because I just took one that morning. The next morning I become too busy (with kids, work, errands, appointments, etc.) to shower. I reason with myself that I will take a shower that night, which will put me back on my preferred nighttime shower schedule anyway. That night the kids may give me a difficult time going to bed and it might take until late at night to get all three asleep. I might decide to relax with a tv show. It might be so late at this point that I fall asleep. Without showering. The next morning I wake up and realize that it’s been too long since I’ve showered. But I might as well wait to shower until after I’ve worked out. Then- you guessed it- I get busy with the kids, work, errands, appointments, etc. At some point I realize it has been MORE THAN TWO DAYS SINCE I’VE SHOWERED. At which point I turn the tv on a kids’ show and leave all three kids, some or all of them crying, to their own devices while I shower. And that is how I, and many other well-meaning, hygiene-conscious people, am plagued by the elusive shower.