E is for ELEGANT

The past few days here in the Grinstead household have been everything but elegant. Our son has had a cold and double ear infection, borderline pneumonia. Our daughter has had a sinus infection, UTI, and a double ear infection. On top of that, mommy has had zero energy and not feeling 100% like herself. If you would have come to our door at any moment this week, you would come in to a house with unmade beds, dishes piled in the sink, toys everywhere, floors not vacuumed, a mom in her pj's still at 1:00 in the afternoon, two kids not dressed, and cartoons or movies playing continuously. I have wiped snot after snot after snot. I have changed several poopy diapers due to lovely antibiotics. I have watched my little girl in pain going potty. I have felt like a pharmacist, giving out meds after meds. I have looked in the mirror this week wondering where my energy and beauty is. I have broken up fights between our kids. I have put in DVD after DVD just for some moments of peace around here.

What is the definition of Elegance?

el·e·gance

noun

noun: elegance; plural noun: elegances

1.

the quality of being graceful and stylish in appearance or manner; style.

 

2.

the quality of being pleasingly ingenious and simple; neatness.

 

According to this definition, our household has not been up to par. However, I think this is the world's definition. I also believe this is something that we as moms or even dads put on ourselves. The myth that we have to use our best china, have perfect vacuum lines in the carpet, the toilets sparkling clean, each toy in its designated spot, beds made, supper on the table at 5:00 each night, our kids dressed in nothing but the best, and having time and energy to take your spouse in the bedroom for some hanky panky every single night for hours has put so much pressure on moms and dads to be perfect. Truth is....no mom, no dad, no wife, no husband is perfect. We have those days or even weeks when life is anything but elegant. Anything but "graceful and stylish." 

Tonight, as I was throwing away our paper plates from supper, and as I glanced over and saw my husband and my freshly bathed children cuddling on the couch watching 101 Dalmatians...I realized something. My life IS elegant. My life IS perfect. Our mouths are fed, there's a roof over our heads, we have clothes on our backs, our needs are met, my husband and I love each other, and our children are so loved. To me, that is as elegant and perfect as you can get. My children don't care that we had waffles for supper because it is quick and easy. My children don't care that there mommy is still in her pj's at 1:00 in the afternoon, without makeup on. My children don't care if the floors haven't been vacuumed in a few days. My children don't care if last night's dishes are still in the sink the next night. They do care about seeing mommy and daddy kiss. They do care about having time for them. They do care that their belly's are full. They do care that they feel loved. They do care about our home being full of love and not strife. So, in my eyes, this week has been everything BUT elegant and perfect. But, through my children's eyes, this weeks has been perfect. If only I could view life through the eyes of my children more often than I view life through the eyes of the world. I learned tonight that my life is perfect. I learned tonight that life sometimes gets messy (literally). Tonight I learned that my children just simply desire a mommy and a house full of love. Parents...those dishes, unmade beds, messy floors, dirty laundry, and nasty floors can wait. Those are the things that make like imperfect. Look around you....your life truly is elegant.