Please, do NOT take a picture of that mess!
I will give you this kinder, and gentler photo instead.
There are certain areas of my home that I just cannot seem to keep in order.
I read Nan’s post today “Ladies, It's Time to Stop Beating Ourselves Up” which lead to me writing this post.
She writes, “Stop talking to yourself as if you're the enemy. You're not. You're in this together, both of you: the you who you WANT to be and the you who you ARE now.”
The other day, my new neighbor came over asking to borrow our ladder. I went to the garage, which was open because it was our weekly workday, telling my neighbor to wait at the doorway because I did not want her to trip over the mess of boxes and laundry. My laundry was strewn across the garage floor because I was in the process of my main washing day.
It takes quite a bit of work to maneuver the 20 ft. extendable ladder. I knocked over several things in the process and tripped over several, as well. I was slightly embarrassed about the mess, but I did not apologize to my neighbor for it.
In the past, I would have been humiliated and would have apologized for the mess, explaining why the garage looked the way it did. I have grown beyond that. Praise the Lord!
I try to clean that garage weekly, and no matter how much I try, it always seems to be a disaster. It is my laundry room, the computer room, the playroom, my husband’s workshop, and the only storage area for this family of seven in our 1248 sq. ft. home.
Formerly, the garage door being left open, exposing my mess to the world (neighborhood), would have upset me, provoking me to express to my husband how distraught it made me. I finally stopped comparing my life to everyone else’s. I KNOW how much I try. Everyone else probably does not. It does not matter anymore. I have stopped beating myself up over it, which makes me a happier person and a more pleasant wife and mother.
If we work in the spirit of love (including loving ourselves), everyone is blessed even when things are not so perfect.
~~~♥~~~
Good for you, Hope. I can still hear myself apologizing to friends if my house isn't looking beautiful and tidy. The problem is that it is never 100% the way I want it because we are a family of 7 as well.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I cleaned my walk-in closet and organized the bejeebers out of it. I then said to my husband, "This closet looks great, but that means the rest of the house could not be worked on." My husband said, "Don't claim that. Be happy about what you've done." Amen to that, dear hubby! :)
Blessings,
Carol
I have such a hard time with a few areas of my house to keep orderly!
ReplyDeleteagain thanks for linking up!
You know, when I was in elementary school, we used to live next to the messiest neighbors imaginable! I loved going over to their house to play because there were toys strewn across the floor in every room and the people in that house were the most generous and loving people I've ever met. Fifty years later I still remember that family and how welcome I felt when I was there! I'm sure your neighbor was grateful for the use of the ladder and never had a thought about the garage.
ReplyDeleteLottie, I love your comment about the messy most, generous and loving people. It is encouraging and good thing to remember that how we treat people will last forever.
Delete♥Hope
Thanks so much for linking up!!
ReplyDeleteGosh I know how hard it is to keep areas of the house clean. I'm pretty sure its near impossible LOL! I liked the comment Lottie made about how joy and love can be felt through any mess, and that's what's truly important.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the linky love, my friend! I love your comment "I KNOW how much I try" because that is so true. I think we get in a habit for apologizing for a mess and yet why should we? They don't know what's going on in our lives or how clean it was yesterday, etc.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby once visited someone and the guy apologize for "the mess." Hubby said that there was a magazine left out on the coffee table.....
Thank you, sweet friend, for this post. I was challened by it because I tend to apologize for a lot of things that don't need apologized for. For example, the other day I was at the dentist and he asked me a question and I answered him with "I'm sorry, I don't know." And he said to me, "Why are you apologizing? It was a yes or no question." Anyway, your post is another reminder of that :)
ReplyDeleteHugs
Stephanie
Sweet Hope, please do not beat yourself up. I think it's so impressive that you're able to keep order in any area of a small home that's jam packed with so many people. I'm sure your whole house looks wonderful and that the garage is no worse than 99% of all other garages out there.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica