Just stop it....okay? Please! Will you? Just knock it off.
Seriously.
Stop it.
I see you. Sitting there.
Exhausted. Frustrated. Feeling like a failure.
You sit there. Its just another day. You've woken up and have already failed.
You look around you. The kids, parked in the front of the TV since 7am. Still probably in their PJ's, eating cereal and toaster waffles...again. Husband walks out the door and you are left with your failures staring you right in the face. You swear that today will different. At least you hope it will. But really, its all the same.
You see the piles of laundry in every room. The dishes from two days ago still sitting on the counter. The bathroom that needs a good bleaching. The beds unmade. The dirty diaper still sitting on the floor from the middle of the night change. The dust. The clutter. The mess.
Your mess. You haven't showered. You probably haven't even changed your underwear today. You throw on another pair of yoga pants because the baby just peed on you. You attempt to make yourself look presentable, just in case an unexpected visitor drops by, but you pray that doesn't happen.
Oh, the embarrassment! If a "friend" dropped by. She would see! She would silently judge you. She would go back to her spotless, perfect home and be thankful that she wasn't you. How horrible it must be to be you.
Okay, now stop it. Right now. Knock it off!
Take a breath.
This is a problem. A serious problem. And if you say you don't have this problem, you are lying.
But wait...I just want to show you a few pictures...of my house before I continue.
Okay, I hope you didn't actually believe me. Because, lets be realistic here...
Here's my ACTUAL house...
Breakfast
Okay, so...Here's my point in all of this.
Not for one second do I feel guilty about this. If you come over, it will probably look like this. Probably messier. Why? Is it because I'm lazy? eh, maybe sometimes. Is it because I'm just not a very good mother or wife? That I just don't care? That maybe I'm too poor to afford nice things?
No. Not at all. And if thats what you think about yourself and your home, you need to STOP IT RIGHT NOW!
We live in a society that LOVES to brag. Hello? SEFLIES???
We are more willing to show people the perfect parts of our lives than the messy parts. We drown ourselves in guilt as we scroll through pinterest seeing all of things that we aren't doing. Somehow, we believe that if our worlds were cleaner, prettier and more expensive that we too, are better people. That others would look at us and think "wow! She has it all together."
Can we just stop?!?!
I want you to come to my house and feel like "yes! Her house is messy, just like mine!"
I don't want you to feel shame because you think that everyone else MUST have a beautiful home, perfect children, and a gorgeous wardrobe.
Can I just remind you, that you are beautiful. That you are loved. And you are amazing with all of your mess. That you HAVE to STOP IT!!! Stop comparing. Stop. Now. Stop comparing yourself to your girlfriends, your mother in law, your neighbor or enemy. Just Stop.
Embrace your mess. Smile, because that mess means that there is life. There are people in your home making that mess. There are kids running around who love you dearly and that don't care if you are wearing the same thing you did yesterday or that you haven't brushed your teeth. There are memories in some of our messes. Those clothes laying on the floor are probably from that time the baby puked on you, but you still held him close because he was sick and need his mommy more than you needed a clean shirt. They were probably from the mess of the frozen pizza you had again last night but enjoyed all of the silly stories your children told while at at the dinner table.They are probably the piles of school projects and homework that you are waiting to stash away for them when they grow up. Our messes mean something. They mean love. They mean sacrifice. They mean that you are doing something right.
And it will get cleaned...eventually. But Mama, don't you, for a second feel bad about the mess in your house, the appearance of your self, or the quality of your "stuff." And never allow someone, even yourself, to make you feel bad or that you are not good enough.
God gave you your kids, your husband and your home because He knew that is what you needed. What they needed.
Stop comparing. Stop feeling guilty. Stop feeling ashamed or embarrassed.
Embrace your mess. Be okay with it.
I'm okay with mine.
I'm okay with yours.
You should be okay too.
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