I Love THIS Life

I am just so over it, you guys.

I’m over caring about the latest trends.

I’m over having the right beachy waves in my hair or ‘naturally’ long lashes or perfectly sun-kissed, ‘plumped’ skin.

I’m over wishing I could be 10 pounds lighter so I can fit into my skinny jeans (which apparently aren’t cool anymore anyway).

I’m over wondering why I don’t quite look like the moms I see on Instagram.

I love scrolling through those feeds, don’t you??

Those endless pictures of monochromatic homes decorated perfectly with neutral tones and natural lighting and fresh flowers while perfectly dressed children in knickers and bonnets play quietly off to one side with their wooden toys from another era.

I sometimes wish I could walk right into that seemingly perfect life.

But the truth is, my house is mostly uncoordinated and decorated with a mish-mash of hand-me-downs and thrift store finds that I’ve painted and set upon stained carpeting littered with plastic Fisher Price toys and Nerf guns all sprinkled with a light dusting of cracker crumbs.

And the truth is, my children are mostly loud and chaotic and almost NEVER playing quietly anywhere and can usually be found bickering and bothering each other while wearing hand-me-down T-shirts and clashing mesh basketball shorts that they may or may not have worn yesterday.

I would love to be that cool and casual pretty mom with beachy waves in my hair who gives a relaxed smile toward my beautifully coordinated children as we gather chicken eggs from our yard or pick fresh kale from the garden that we’ll set out for the neighborhood party we’ll be hosting that night.

But I’m not. We’re not. That’s just not my family.

I’m over it.

We’re just ordinary, I guess.

I may occasionally wish for a moment or two that I could step into those seemingly picture-perfect lives that surround me.

I may feel my anxiety ramp up from time to time as I wonder why my life doesn’t ever seem to look Pinterest Perfect.

But the truth is, I love this life.

THIS one.

It may not always be pretty, but it is beautiful all the same.

Right here in the middle of this ordinary life.