a happy family

I was just thinking of something. Although my kids are all grown with homes of their own, I'm still a mom. Lately, several of them have had really hard challenges come their way, most of it through no fault of their own. Of course, we want everything to be OK. I hurt for them and try to offer words of encouragement and help as I can.

But here's the deal. Life is messy. It's designed to be that way because that's how humans grow. We have to learn to sort and prioritize and adapt and endure and overcome. To learn joy in the journey. It's a never ending process.

And I thought of comments so many of you have made where you feel so out of control--that you dream of that moment when everything aligns and runs smoothly. But life keeps happening and interferes with your carefully made plans.

I remember a card I got from a friend once that said on the cover, "Let's get together when life gets back to normal." And inside it said, "But what if this is normal?"

And that's the point of this post--if you are constantly working to achieve that home where everything is perfectly in place and every day goes just as scheduled, is that real life?

My experience says absolutely not.

So learning to go with the flow and the challenges and the disruptions and the changes of plans may be the very best preparation for life you can give your children! Much more so than the perfectly ordered and clockwork home you may feel so guilty that you are unable to achieve.

Just my 2 cents.

Art credit: A Happy Family by Giovanni Battista Torriglia (artrenewal.org)