Let's Tell the Truth

My living room, 15 minutes prior to the arrival of company.

Two boys' accomplishment in 5 minutes of unsupervised behavior.

Lunch every day, 7 days a week.

Sometimes on fine china

Our stylin' carpet...

...courtesy of "leak-proof" sippy cups.

The #1 To-Do project "first thing this spring"

It is now October.

I always forget to water my plants.

One time I caught my son peeing in this flower bed that faces the busy street.  I soon realized he had also pooped.

Sometimes my children break things.

Toss stuff in the oven and bake things.

And do this about 75% of the day

...until I could scream in frustration.

And wonder why I can't seem to get my act together...

...until I visit a friend and notice their house, their children, their frustrations are remarkably similar to mine, complete with polka-dotted sippy cup carpet.  And I heave a sigh of relief that I am not the only one who feels absolutely helpless some days (ok, most days!).  It's vulnerable to admit that the ideal I strive for can easily morph into the idol I strive for, and if I am not careful, I burn myself out.  Big time.

But when we share our lives with each other, we expose the truth that sometimes "getting our act together" is simply that--acting.  It's so easy to sweep ourselves away in the desire to maintain a positive, Christian image of motherhood--of ourselves--that we lose sight of the fact that perhaps it's our willingness to admit our shortcomings that truly establishes the common ground for friends to face the daily trials of life together.  Because the truth is, we all love our families and we all strive to become more like Christ...but sometimes the real picture of what that looks like is spilled milk, unattended clutter, crying children, and moments of absolute frustration.

In the honesty of openly sharing our lives with each other, strength arises in uniting our weaknesses.  Let's tell the truth that we can drop all pretense and use our struggles to encourage, commiserate, uplift, and carry each other because we are free to be ourselves--imperfect works-in-progress.  Let's tell the truth that we can smile when our children fight, laugh when they drop their drawers in the middle of the yard, and feel perfectly at home in a sea of clutter.

Let's tell the truth that honestly, we wouldn't have it any other way.