“Carrie,” my 7-year old brother said as he emerged from the bathroom, “there is a lot of underwear on your floor. A LOT of underwear!” He had come to visit during the week we began potty-training Gidget and he was right, there were around 6 pairs of size 2t underwear scattered across the bathroom floor. During that first week, Gidget was adamant that he changed pairs after every trip to the bathroom. He was also adamant that his undergarment options should not remain in a nice, neat pile. I suppose he felt he needed to see them all laid out so he could make an informed decision . . .
I ran with his excitement that week and let him revel in all the new patterns and colors scattered upon the floor. One by one I would hold up his options until his face lit and he exclaimed “THAT pair!” Where my little brother saw a mess, I saw excited eyes, the wonder of something new . . . I saw LIFE!
The underwear on my bathroom floor may perhaps disqualify it from adorning a magazine cover (well, that and my dated lilac bathroom fixtures . . . ), but it was something beautiful to me nonetheless. Those scattered undergarments reminded those who entered my home that week that there was life within these walls. Life that reveled in the simple things and delighted in learning something new. Life filled with wonder and blossoming from dependent to independent.
As I look around my house, I am reminded of the life that is within.
The greasy hand prints moving up the wall by the staircase? A sign of little hands that love to work hard with daddy. Of the eyes that glow bright with excitement as he “helps” daddy work on a vehicle.
The smudges on the windows? Those are a reminder of the semi-truck that rolled by the house as little hands pressed against the glass and excited squeals escaped his lips.
The dishes in the sink? A sign of life that has been nourished.
The toys scattered around the house? Those are a reminder of the two brothers who busily played and imagined all throughout the day. There was laughter, bickering, chatter, tears, smiles . . . they were full of life.
All these little messes, they are beautiful. They are what take our house and transform it into our home. The hustle and bustle, the messes, the imperfections . . . these are what add warmth and character to our home. Each smudge, toy, and hand print tells a story; a story of life, of baby boy giggles, of tears, of love, of laughter . . . each is full of beauty because each represents life.
As you go about your day, may the little messes you encounter remind you of the beauty of life within those four walls. These messes are what make your house a home. And if you happen to see the 2t underwear scattered in my bathroom, don’t forget to smile, my home is full of life.
Post linked at A Mama’s Story, What Joy is Mine
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