Embracing the Mess

This morning I looked around the living room. Once again the floor was scattered with toys – Dinosaurs, Lego bricks cars and other toys were strewn on the floor. This a day after the living room was thoroughly cleaned. Once upon a time, not so long ago this would have left me feeling annoyed and resentful as I put everything back in its place. Today, I looked at the living room and saw things a bit differently. On closer inspection I noticed that some of the toys were not strewn – the cars were actually carefully arranged for a race; there were half built Lego spaceships and Iron Man sat in the one designed for his size. I suddenly felt grateful that these toys were here on my living room floor. They were a testament to play, imagination and discovery. They were also a sign of all the life in our household – the laughter and joy; the sibling rivalry and tears; the chaos! I thought back to a time before children when the living room was barren and everything arranged neatly in it’s place. Would I really want to go back to that? No, it seems so boring sterile. I still don’t like clutter but I am getting used to the chaos because it is also a sign of my kids’ imagination and creative play.