I like a tidy house. In a novel I read recently, the main character – an older lady detective- observed during her investigations how much she loved the victim’s house. It was messy and cluttered and she loved it. It made me wonder if my habit of quickly tidying away any mess or clutter sometimes takes away from the ‘homey’ feel of our home. As if a pile of laundry or a sink full of dishes is something to be ashamed of when really, they just mean we live an abundant life. We have extra clothes and a full fridge, things I am very aware of and grateful for.

Life is messy. Our cars break down and need to be fixed. We get sick and need to rest. We go through hard times and turn to food for comfort and put on a few pounds, a book comes out and doesn’t sell. And these signs of life – a broken-down car, a messy house, a bigger waistline, a failed book- are they really something to be ashamed of? Is it possible this is more about being in control than being tidy? That even though so much of life is out of our control, we can at least control what our homes look like? We mistake mess for failure and perfectly aesthetic homes for success. Instead, can we learn to see toys scattered on the rug, plates in the sink and leaves collecting on the deck as signs of a well-loved life?