Finding Beauty In The Everyday

Instead of a messy floor strewn with blocks and cars I choose to see the time we spent sitting together on the floor building, creating, and imagining.

Instead of a sink full of dirty dishes I choose to see the love and patience it took to have two small children help me bake muffins.

Instead of a paint stained bathtub I choose to see little people creating, learning about colors, and giggling in the bath together afterwards while I wash paint from their hands and feet, face and hair.

Instead of a laundry basket full of clothes waiting to be folded I choose to see where we pushed it to the side so we could snuggle and read.

Instead of an entry cluttered by muddy shoes and jackets I choose to see the sheer delight of playing outside, stomping in mud puddles, and pretending the old pink playhouse is a science research station.

Instead of dwelling on a little screen time I choose to focus on the hiking, crafting, reading, and exploring we do, and appreciate the moment of quiet that a little TV gives me.

It doesn't always work. Sometime I'm overwhelmed with the mess and pass up a chance to play or read in favor of tidying, vacuuming, or catching up. Occasionally, though, I choose to give myself grace and find the beauty in the everyday chaos that makes up my life and we're all a bit happier for it.

If my house is messy, if the laundry goes unfolded another day (or two or three), if we eat "frozen shapes" for dinner because I forgot to plan and our day was too full to get a decent meal together, if there are muddy fingerprints on my wall, or if the vacuum sits abandoned in the corner - it will be ok. And I'm going to keep telling myself that until I believe it.