Don't Apologize for a Lived in House

I went to a friend's house today and she was sitting by her fire, rocking her 2 month old son.  She has 4 kids and a full time job. One of her first sentences was, "I'm sorry for the mess."

When you come to my house, invited or by surprise, I will not apologize for the mess.

The dishes on the counter represent my loving husband's efforts to feed his girls dinner each night.  The dishes in the dishwasher are still there because my daughter's and I have been doing homework since we got home and now we are choosing to watch Jeopardy together and see who gets the most questions correct. My husband usually wins by thousands of dollars, I'm just not quick enough.

Our couch cushions are squished because we sit and lay on them.  The couch is covered with 5 blankets so we all can snuggle together under them in the evening while we are recovering from our day and preparing for the next.

You will find dog hair throughout the house because we love our dog and she loves to be with us.  She joins us wherever we are, wants to be pet and played with.  She greats us by wiggling her butt back and forth with the motion of her tail - the hair flies.

There are wood chips and ashes by the fire as a reminder that we use our wood burning stove to keep warm.  Dust is settling on surfaces we don't regularly touch, the windows are not clean.  I chose to be with my family today.

Each day we make decisions on how to spend our time. Each day, those decisions should create a better self.  I was busy this evening with things that make me happy and bring me joy even though I was tired enough to crawl in bed at 6:30.  I played a fun game that I love.  I visited friends that fill my spirit.  I chose joy.

The dishes, dust and dog hair will be there tomorrow.  Where will your family be?  Where will you be? There is a time to scrub and clean, but not when it will steal from you much needed joy and peace. You might as well wash your car instead of filling its empty tank.  It may look nice, but it won't get you anywhere.

When your friend or family member comes by, don't apologize for living in your house.  Welcome them, warn them that their socks may get hairy if they take off their shoes, offer them a drink, but don't apologize for the signs of life that are left in the tracks of you and your family.