Hung out to dry...encouragement through trials

The house we just moved into has a clothesline. I used it yesterday for the first time, and it was a very interesting experience. I had never hung anything out to dry before.

I hung the clothes out and just left them there for hours. They were just hanging there, looking very forlorn and exposed. They were blowing in the wind and they were even rained on a bit. When I finally went and got them off the line, they were stiff. It was very strange--the same cloth that had been soft and snuggly before I hung the clothes out to dry had become firmer, tougher, rougher.

This morning I put on one of the shirts that had been hung out to dry. It was the best-smelling piece of clothing I have ever worn. It smelled so fresh I felt like I was radiating cleanliness; even now, after 12 hours of chasing Jack around it still smells fresh and clean, reminding me of the difficult experience it shared with the other clothing as it was hung out to dry yesterday.

Today, as it has been worn, the shirt has softened up a bit again.