i love the Mess of life

Most people that know me I think would say that my home is almost always completely neat, clean, tidy, and organized. Usually when I have guests over, they comment on this about me and my home.

However, that is not always the natural state of 97 Benson. In fact, the Hamilton-Rockhill residence is full of Mess, scattered pieces of life that are full of stories.

I love this mess that fills my home for what it reminds me of;

I am the luckiest girl to be so blessed with a roof covering warmth and safety, 

a family that has welcome me as one of their own, 

endless opportunity for any life I so choose to design.

I love the Mess of life:

I love the unmade beds where nightly I may lie in comfort and peace beside bodies of humans who love me endlessly. It reminds me of late night heart-conversations, tickle wars, watching Netflix huddled around my laptop.

I love the chaos of art projects (this one of my own): paper scraps and fake jewels, kitties destroying whatever they can get their paws on, glue and paint and canvases. Creativity spewing across entire rooms of my sweet little house.

I love the piles of Little Girl and Preteen filled with hairbrushes and dolls with homemade clothes and books and little game pieces and every other tiny thing you could imagine.

Speaking of books, I love the smattering of pages-bound that seem to fill several spots in every room. Besides the 3 book cases and multiple shelves and drawers dedicated to housing these books, there are always enough books currently being read and explored that won't be put away to fill every flat surface in my home. I am reminded of the opportunities we're given by the gift of literacy. I am grateful for excellent local libraries. I am blessed that my sweet girls love to read and are learning to love it more and more every day, and that I have a life partner who considers my "2 books a month" 2013 resolution to be a challenge worth competing over.

I love the hairs that are all over my home--gathering on my hardwood floor, standing out brightly against our couches, balling up underneath the furniture. The pet hairs of our three loyal friends who share their warmth and company selflessly every day.

I absolutely love this mess in all honesty. It is the daily mess of creativity, comfort, and coming together. As my 2013 resolution to cook more and improve my skills grows in success each week, so it seems to the pots and bowls and spoons alongside. Every meal shared around a table or scattered lazily in our living space telling stories about our lives over yet another new recipe.  Teaching my girls to cook (as I teach myself, too) has been one of the greatest experiences of having children in my life.

I love the piles of recycling and donations sitting by the door, a family that believes alongside me in doing what we can to try and honor our planet and maintain a minimalist lifestyle. Old textbooks alluding to ideas and goals and projects-past, clothes that served us well in beauty and in comfort, moving on to grand new adventures.

Finally, I love the mess of pushed-out chairs. To me, it is the energy of moving from a coming-together to follow after a sudden explosion of Idea or Inspiration that each of us in this home seems to be spewing over with. The excitement to move into the next project or prospect or game and forgetting to even push the chair in reminds me of why I don't mind cleaning up the messes in my home: it is the glory of family and creativity paired together and coming alive in every part of our lives.