A few weeks ago, I found myself pressed for time. I had been cleaning the house and lost track of time. It was almost time for Wednesday night Bible study and dinner wasn’t even thought of. I rushed into the kitchen to see what I could prepare before the baby awoke. Spaghetti it is! I reached for a package of noodles, not realizing it was already opened, and watched as the majority of pasta fell to the floor. Who knew that pasta falling to the floor could be so loud?! I stood there for a moment trying to decide my next move. Should I toss it or rinse it? It was at that moment my toddler ran over to see what had happened. She stood there looking at the spilled pasta with a look of shock. “Mommy made a mess?” “Yes, baby. Mommy made a mess,” I said with a sigh.
It was the look on her face as she stared at that pasta covering the floor and the surprise in her voice that got me thinking. This was the first time she noticed that mommy makes messes, too. Every day, it seems, I get on to her for spilling food, leaving toys and clothes on the floor, or generally not picking up after herself. Training starts young, right?! So I bent down and started cleaning up my mess.
I try to instill in my daughter the necessity of fixing messes. She doesn’t get in trouble for making a mess. We all make messes. Messes are inevitable. She’s just not allowed to leave it there. I want her to know that messes can be tended to, corrected, repaired, or made better. Depending on the type of mess, she may need help. I tell her to always let me know when something happens and she needs my help. Never to hide something from me, but to be honest. If she lets me know the moment a problem occurs, she will not get in trouble, no matter what it is.
You see, life can be messy. She doesn’t know it yet, but mommy has made lots of messes in the past: a mess in relationships; a mess in goals; a mess in life choices; and even a mess in parenting. A mess doesn’t have to remain a mess. It may even take some time to clean up. The mess may even need the help of another, through counseling or a listening ear, to make it all better. We just can’t leave our messes there, even if all we can do is sweep it up and toss it away.
So yes, baby girl, mommy makes messes, too. Thank you for offering to help clean it up and make my stressful day a little brighter. We didn’t leave it there!