What fills us is real, sweet, dopey, funny life.

Who wrote that?  Oh how I wish it was me. What a beautiful little sentence.  But it's actually Anne Lamott.  Have you ever read one of her books?  If not, get thee to a library or bookstore pronto. She is a genius writer.  But I didn't come here to discuss Anne Lamott.  I came here today to share this wonderful article that she wrote (which I found on Simple Mom's Weekend Links post).  

I couldn't agree with Anne more.  My house looks like a pigsty most days. Paper, unread mail, old catalogs and half-read magazines litter the counters. It happens more often than I'd care to admit that I don't invite people over because it's too messy or my house needs updating.  BUT it's because I let those things go that I feel pretty full inside and I feel like my kids are happy and healthy and have a beautiful sense of wonder. People often tell me they don't have pets because dogs are too messy and birds are too loud.  Yet those folks don't know much about the endless, unconditional, affectionate love of a dog or the quirky fun and beautiful songs I get from my birds. Standing in my kitchen and having the birds fly around  me divebombing my head brings me so much joy! That's their language and their way of communicating and playing with me.  My house might be full of fur and bird feathers and seeds but my family knows the soul of these animals. It's such a gift and so priceless!  I don't wear makeup or fix my hair often but I read some damn good books. Our bed isn't always made but my girls and I have fabulous tea parties. Aren't those the things that make life worth living? When my end comes, I like to think that people won't remember my messy house or that my hair never looked good but the more important things.

Anne Lamott, thanks for bringing some soul into my morning.

Note: These photos have absolutely nothing to do with this post. But I couldn't have two photo-less posts in a row and these self-portraits of Clara & I making dinner seemed somewhat appropriate.  If only you could see the disastrous mess on the counters behind us!