Giving Thanks {even when it's messy}



source

I saw this picture a few weeks ago on Pinterest, and it got me thinking.  Should I really be thankful for dirty dishes?  They are like the laundry, a constant in my life and in my world.  But if we take a minute and really think about what dirty dishes and laundry mean, it can change our perspective entirely.

Dirty dishes in fact mean that we are eating.  That we have made breakfast or dinner.  That we have something to serve ourselves or our families.  Sure they pile up in and around the sink.  If they sit too long they smell and sometimes require superhuman strength to scrub.  In the end though, a sink full of dishes means that we are fed. 

Laundry, which is literally a daily constant, means that we have clothes to wear.  More than one shirt for our backs.  How many can truly say that?  Piles of towels and PJ's, tutu skirts, and skinny jeans represent more than a procrastinating housewife.  They are symbols that we have something to wear, some place to be. 

Toys all over the floor means that I have children.  And that those children play.  I'm very thankful for that.  Sure I hate to step on Barbie shoes, blocks, or crayons, but all of those things mean that my girls are playing.  They are happy and enjoying a great blessing of toys, many of which I didn't buy.  My messy living room is proof that life is happening here.

I was thinking about all of that and more, when I came across this pin,

source

Could we really be thankful for taxes?  If it means we have a job, then yes.  What about that far parking space at Target.  When you just need one thing?  Well we can be thankful that most of us can walk, a few extra spaces or two.  What got me the most was the alarm going off, because it means we are alive.  How many of us curse our alarm clocks?  But if it means we are alive, that's a different story. 

This Thanksgiving I'm going to be thankful for the messy, the inconvenient, and the annoying.  Darn you dirty dishes, scattered toys, and alarm clocks.  Darn that last parking place at Target on Black Friday.  I'm going to be thankful for you, despite you.  Because I have kids who relish the joys of messy living rooms.  I have laundry that never ends.  Because last nights dishes are still sitting in the sink.  All proof that we are embracing this life. 

Happy Blogging,

Megan

Embracing the good

source

I think there is something very poetic about being invited to write for this blog.  I've spent years on the journey to embrace my life.  There was always something holding me back.  Fear.  Uncertainty.  More fear.  I was always afraid of change.  Afraid of not being good enough.  Afraid of what people would say or think about me, even when I acted like it didn't matter.  But all of that stopped when I became a mother.  Motherhood made me.

Motherhood made me embrace those lingering ten pounds and soft tummy that may never go away.  It made me embrace a make-up less face for and extra fifteen minutes of sleep.  Motherhood made me embrace my looks in a way nothing else could.  It made me proud to wear the stretch marks on my weathered body, like badges of honor.

Motherhood forced me to embrace the chaos that is my life.  Mountains of laundry.  Fast Food dinners.  Last minute cupcake baking the night before a fourth birthday, because I had to go to three stores for Buzz Lightyear.  Target trips an hour before the store closes because there is only one diaper in the house.  I'm still embracing the chaos that is my life.  For example, I'm writing this post while the dye to cover my greys sits for thirty minutes.  Also my two year old is entertaining herself with chips ahoy.

Motherhood inspired me to embrace my story.  Becoming a mom has been my biggest struggle.  I don't think I could have ever been prepared for the reality that is motherhood.  I lived some dark days, in a fog, struggling to be a "perfect" mom, instead of focusing on being a good mom.  Living those days, knowing that there had to be others out there fumbling the same mothering tasks, I decided to start a blog.  A place to share my stories, a place to get honest with myself and others about this motherhood job.  It's brought me new friends, new perspective, and new confidence.

Motherhood allowed me to embrace my writing.  Something I had been too scared to do.  I still have days where I can't believe I'm going to hit the publish button.  After almost two years, I finally feel I've gotten my sea legs.  My blog has brought me a new found confidence, not just in my parenting life, but in my actual life.  Now, I'm not just taking a chance on my writing, but I'm taking a chance on me too. 

Most importantly, motherhood has taught me to embrace the good.  The good in my life now.  Why did I spend so much time waiting for perfection?  Nothing is perfect, but life is ultimately good.  Everyday we can pinpoint something good.  Good food, good snuggles, good laughs, good friends.  None of these are perfect, yet, they are the simplest blessings.  I'm tired of waiting for perfection.  It's time to embrace the good.