Is There Dirt On Your Face?

Some weeks seem so busy that I wonder if they are going to swallow me whole! This has been one of them, with both planned and unplanned events creeping up and pushing out my nice, scheduled routine. Because of this, I have not had more than five minutes to write in the past few days (let alone sleep or shower) and oh how I have missed you! It is a good thing we are meeting on here instead of in person however, I fear in person you might be scared away by my wacky bed-head and haven't-brushed-my-teeth-yet halitosis..not to mention the slightly crazed look of a mom with too little sleep. It is a scary thing.

All that being said, I have been reminded continuously the past few days that life is what you make it. I originally named my blog "Messy Faces, Happy Families" because I needed a reminder for myself that life gets messy, we get dirt on our faces, and we have to make the choice to enjoy the moments even when they don't come packaged with a pretty pink bow. The past few days have been some of those "messy faces" kind of days, and I have had to choose which path I am going to follow.

I can pick the path of frustration, getting caught up in wanting things to be different and getting mad-as-a-hornet (I could have just said mad, but really just wanted to use that phrase) or I can pick the path of acceptance, and take things as they come. I used to think that picking the path of acceptance was weak. I thought that it symbolized me rolling over and deciding not to care or work at things. I have learned that accepting the circumstances of life doesn't mean rolling over, it means finding a reason to be thankful for the moment and, if warranted, finding a way to change things.

This week there have been circumstances outside of my control. I wish I could tell you that I was able to let the wind blow over them as I laughed in acceptance. The truth is, I huffed and I puffed. I rolled my eyes and glared at my husband. I pointed fingers and threw up my hands. And yet, in the end, I looked at those around me and was reminded that no matter what situation we get tied up in, there is nobody I would rather do life with than my family.

So even on the days when our faces are messy (mine, especially) I would rather have a messy face in the midst of a life I love than have the pristine glow of somebody who doesn't engage with others or love fiercely. Because when we love and live and work and play together, we will get messy. Things won't always go our way, some days we will drive each other nuts, and our neatly packaged plans will unravel (as will our neatly packaged attitudes...let me assure you). But you know what? That's okay. Because when we have dirt on our faces, it means we are really living our lives. So how about you, do you get dirt on that face sometimes? Because mud masks are really in right now!