Peeling Back the Layers

Many of us in blog land tend to present a beautiful "all-together" life. Snaps of beauty float across our pages in the form of smiling children, cute critters, and the well manicured garden plant. Today, not for my own soul, but for others I peel back the layers and reveal a little reality in my life.

I live on a homestead. One that has trailers of various sized parked near the pasture, project supplies stacked by the shed for those projects we haven't thought of yet, and a fences that need attention. Animals do what animals do, leaving a never ending chore list and quite a nice compost pile. There are leaves, limbs and a few fallen trees which normal people would probably have picked up by now (I am enjoying the character in them).

My house is old. It is lived in and visited by real people; mess making people. Generally, I am okay with this (though occasionally I lose that contentment and fret over the chaos). Since creativity is encouraged, any number of tools, supplies, and projects may be on any flat surface at any given time. We are painters, builders, fiber artists and all out recipe testing herbalist mess makers. Over all, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I am horribly flawed and somewhat unsettled over many things beyond my control right now. Loved ones facing suffering, young adult children making painful decisions, the possible end to my job and my husband's. There are ideals in my head I want to make happen, but just seem to be unable to fulfill. Some issues have driven me to the point I can no longer pray, but simply sit silent before God and feel helpless. I am human- and far from all together.

This is not a post for me- or a plea for pity and compassion. It is a time to remind you, I am real... most of us in blog land are real. Our posts often reflect the little things we focus on to ease the pain of reality and shine light on each of our dark places.

Today, what every our circumstance.. whatever your reality.. please don't feel frustrated or less than valuable because your life/home/farm isn't what you are seeing here (or on any web sight for that matter). Behind every beautiful picture, there is a mess waiting to be dealt with.

So be encouraged, not discouraged. There is no perfect here.. just life.