Here is the scene…a mother and toddler at the kitchen sink together, both still in their pajamas at 10:00 in the morning.   Mother is attempting to do the dishes and the toddler is going after every chance to catch the running water, tipping cups while spilling water all over.  To many this would look like a disaster and the scene of someone who is struggling, but it just hit me how amazing it all is.

This is my beautiful disaster, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.

The books maybe prepare you for what to expect physically when you have a child, but nothing can prepare you for the emotional, beautiful disaster that happens when you become a mama.  Turning down the millionth request for cheese, the billionth “lay down and go to sleep” or “please sit down” and too many “out of your mouths” to count.  The constant tornado that comes through your house, the battle of going back inside the house after playing outside, and of course, the loss of any regular sleep schedule can take its toll on you.Beautiful Disaster.jpg

At times you wonder if you will make it, if you are strong enough. And then comes the “couch mama” followed by a pull at your leg and a pat on the couch when he just wants to snuggle, tiny arms and hands that reach up as you hear “hold you.” A toddler rubbing your arm for comfort as he falls asleep and the occasional kiss from those little lips.

While pregnant, you get the warnings from those who have been there.  They say motherhood changes things. And from the moment your child is placed in your arms, you feel it – love like no one could ever explain.  There are absolutely no words to describe how beautiful this love is.  With the right mindset, there are moments every day that will reveal how absolutely blessed you are.  Often times that beauty can be hidden beneath a disaster, if you look at it from the correct angle, suddenly you see that beautiful disaster appear in front you.

Find the patience and creativity to view the mother and toddler at the kitchen sink from a different angle.  Instead of looking at the water on the floor and the soaked PJs they are still wearing at 10:00, listen to the laughs. Watch as that child learns to say “Where are you?” while putting his hands up, frantically looking for the brush that has disappeared under the suds.  These are the moments where you will find the beautiful disaster.