Keeping it Real

One thing that I do not like about Social Media is that it shows a very one-sided view of life – the good side that we want everybody to see. Although it is true that nobody’s life is as perfect as it sometimes seems online, it is easy to lose sight of that detail as you scroll through your daily news feeds. People have told me that they sometimes feel depressed and inadequate because their lives do not reach the level of perfection that so many others appear to have achieved.

That is the last thing I want you to feel here. This space is meant to be uplifting and real.

Although I may talk about things that I am striving for in my own life, I hope you understand that I am down in the trenches working towards overcoming weaknesses and imperfections – just like you. Some days I feel like I am making progress, but many days I feel like I keep making the same mistakes over and over again – spinning my wheels but getting nowhere.

Sometimes I talk about the joys of family life, but please know that my kids argue and don’t always pull their weight. They forget to do their chores, leave their rooms a mess, and sometimes push me to the end of my patience rope – and beyond.

I may talk about my journey to simplify my life and my home, but it is a journey that has no end in sight at this point.

I may get excited after working all day to declutter and organize my kitchen, and post this picture on Instagram, because it makes me smile:

I may want to tell you about how I consolidated two drawers and a cupboard full of first aid supplies into this small container that fits nicely in the linen closet:

Or about how I finally cleaned out this craft closet that now has empty space on the shelves.

I may tell you about how I love my simple wardrobe because all of my clothes fit into this little space:

After looking at this small glimpse into how I live, you may get the idea that everything in my home and life is streamlined, decluttered, and organized. While I am constantly working to make that a reality, what I haven’t told you is that my pantry often looks like this:

There are open bags that spill all over the floor, despite the fact that there is a whole container of bag clips that should keep that from happening. I find empty boxes of food all the time because my kids “forget” to throw them away. We can hardly find what we are looking for because things do not get put away where they belong. The shelves are old and falling apart.

Don’t ask me about the paper towels, because apparently it is easier to throw them on the floor than to put them away. I have yet to figure out a lasting solution to this mess because five children attack this space after school like a herd of hungry elephants.

Then there is my bedroom…

While I have never missed a day of making my bed since I made that commitment nearly four months ago, I cannot say that I always pick up the rest of the room. That nightstand becomes a hot spot to collect papers and things that need to be put away. I struggle to keep up with the laundry, and there are often baskets of unfolded clothes and towels sitting in disarray next to the tidy bed.

There are stacks of empty baskets and containers that have accumulated as I have purged and gotten rid of the stuff that was in them (Progress, right?), along with a pile of the kids’ artwork that I need to figure out what to do with. That old computer has been sitting there in the corner for two years because I don’t know how to safely wipe the hard drive so that I can get rid of it, and I haven’t taken the time to figure that out. The step by the fireplace houses all sorts of stuff that needs to be returned to various stores…from months ago. And, what about that dust?!? Isn’t it lovely?

The laundry room is another space that I usually keep to myself. Maybe that is because I HATE doing laundry and do not want to spend any time in that room, and it shows. Batteries belong on top of the washer, right?

Life is messy and sometimes things get neglected. Clutter collects, even as I work to get rid of it. I don’t always make the best use of my time. I often wonder where the hours have gone at the end of the day because it doesn’t seem like I have accomplished anything worthwhile.

Although I try to be real in this space and always, rest assured that what I share online is not always the whole story, because the whole story would take much too long to tell. It is a story of learning, growing and becoming that will undoubtedly last a lifetime.

Don’t feel bad if your life is not perfect or if you feel like you make more than your share of mistakes. You are in really good company.

I just wanted you to know.