Mothers, Do You Act Like a Holy Vacuum Cleaner?

Ah mothers.

Aren’t we great?

Always running around serving,

Acting like a combination of Martha and Mary.

A+ Mums, right?

Think again.

When we refuse to give up control, we shut out the power of the Holy Spirit. In fact we end up acting just like vacuum cleaners when it is God’s job to purify our family in His power, mercy and grace. He needs us to simply be conduits of his Love. It is by Christ’s suffering that mothers and their families are healed, not by the mother acting like the sacrificial lamb or the scapegoat of the Old Testament.

Isaiah 53:5

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

As a mother, I am wired to work emotionally just like a vacuum cleaner,sucking up all my children’s pain. Likewise, my children are compassionate vacuum cleaners as well, who attract other people’s negative emotions. They are all aware that they learned this dysfunctional behaviour not only from observing Michael and me in action but also because they have inherited this trait from both of us.

This problem, The Vacuum Cleaner Syndrome, is a difficult disease to cure. As my daughter and fellow vacuum cleaner, Katie, asked during a family discussion,

"How can one vacuum cleaner help another vacuum cleaner?”

Four of us around the circle smiled and laughed at the image.

Then I blurted out, “Why, show the other vacuum how to reverse the hose and blow out the dirt, and not suck it in and collect it.”

That comment released waves of uncontrollable laughter that actually did blast clean air through all of us.

Compassion and empathy are vital in close relationships but my tendency is to try to fix my husband and kids by hoarding their pain within my heart.

Do my seemingly selfless reactions weigh me down?

YES.

Is anyone fixed or set free as I sacrifice my peace and happiness to try to help my family?

NO.

Does this Vacuum Cleaner Syndrome destroy every one’s peace and joy?

YES.

The good news is that a silly image that pictures mum as a vacuum cleaner does reverse this self-defeating, addictive pattern because it makes it easier for everyone to understand how ludicrous I have been. The laughter that follows releases the tension used to keep emotional pain locked up inside.

Jesus is the only vacuum cleaner who has the ability to literally suck up every one’s emotional pain, sin etc. and then blow in joy, peace and new life back in. The only prerequisite is to give Him permission. This is the great exchange; surrender dirt and receive the bright, clean breath of God, then laugh at how long it took you to let it happen.

Let’s entrust our kids to God and Mary’s intercession.

Mary is the Queen over all things: “Queen over all things” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 966).

Entrust our cares to Mary: “Holy Mary, Mother of God…we can entrust all our cares and petitions to her: she prays for us as she prayed for herself: ‘Let it be to me according to your word.’ [Lk 1:38] By entrusting ourselves to her prayer, we abandon ourselves to the will of God together with her: ‘Thy will be done,’ (CCC 2677).

Mary is Advocate, Helper, Mediatrix. “…the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.’” (CCC 969).