I grew up in a tidy house. It was clean and orderly. Maybe to a fault. Mom and Dad are tidy people. They don’t like clutter. And we girls (my sister and me) learned how to keep things a certain way.
Today, as a mom of three kids, mess is a constant. It’s inevitable. And it has felt, at times, stressful. I have this expectation that my natural habitat is a tidy one. Tidiness is the familiar. Tidiness is a comfort.
And yet…
I have come to a new understanding.
Some mornings, afternoons, or nights, there is mess.
Tidying is a sort of personal discipline. It is a steady constant. Something I can do that quiets my breathing and helps me focus. Is that THE WEIRDEST?! YES!!!
But it’s still true.
I’m sure you do weird things, too, from time to time.
We learn patterns and tricks to get us back to baseline. To return worry, anxiety, or discomfort to its rightful place— away from our insides.
Tidying has been that for so long that I became attached. But we all know attachment breeds suffering.
So, I’m slowly learning to lean into the mess. To find peace. To breathe and relax into something that feels horribly uncomfortable. Isn’t that the key to life? Learning to lean into the things that upset us? Finding peace where we are least peaceful?
This week, I’m leaving dishes in the sink to attend to other things.
Big whoop.
Big deal.
No one cares.
But I care.
This simple practice is just that– a practice for the harder things. A reminder. An opportunity. Isn’t everything an opportunity? For peace?
What brought you peace this week? Share the peace!
4 the Love of Peace 