Wednesday night Emily and I had an interview with a local tv station (it won’t air for a few weeks. So, try and hold your overwhelming excitement!) We had the interview at my house because they wanted to see my fabulous new Granite Transformations kitchen. I REALLY did not want to do the interview at my house, as few things stress me out more than house cleaning. But, I sucked it up, and spent most of the week cleaning, and Wednesday, my house (the lower floor anyway) was looking pretty nice. (Of course it looked like crap again by Thursday at noon. Arrrgh!!)
After Emily and I were each interviewed, the reporter wanted to get some background shots of us just hanging out, chatting, using our laptops (which was not. awkward. AT ALL!) They wanted us to sit on my couch, but to get a good angle, they needed to move my couch a couple feet away from the wall. Which meant moving my coffee table a couple feet as well.
My coffee table. Which I had been too tired, worn out, etc. to move a few feet and sweep under when I was cleaning.
I knew this was not going to be pretty. And sure enough, as we scooted the coffee table over a couple of feet, all the STUFF underneath it was revealed: cheerios, cracker crumbs, puzzle pieces (so THAT’S where those were!) and enough of Sophie’s plastic toy food to feed a family of four for a week.
It was *mildly* embarrassing.
But so totally indicative of my general state of being.
Because I always have crumbs under my coffee table. I am hopelessly flawed. Even when I take painstaking care with my outward appearance, what exists underneath is perfectly imperfect. A few wavy hairs I didn’t quite get straight, that super-fuzzy section on my shinbone I can never get shaved, the stretch marks and cellulite that no shapewear can erase.
And then, there’s the inside. The woman who is too quick to anger, who gets frustrated over the little things, whose first response to a stubbed toe or to bumping my head on the car for the thousandth time while buckling a kid in their car seat is a bad word (whether it actually makes it out of my mouth or not).
I will never be shiny or glossy. If I appear that way, it is an illusion.
This post has been rumbling around my head since Wednesday night. And then, at church last night the pastor preached on this verse. About a great treasure inside a less-than-stellar vessel. And I knew I had to write it.
Sometimes my weaknesses frustrate me, and there are many things that I do need to improve about myself. (Especially my messiness. Really, you cannot walk through my bedroom right now. I can’t find anything, and this is a problem I have created for myself!)
But there is also joy in the weaknesses, in the imperfections, in those areas of my life that allow others to see me. Cracked, jacked up, janky, and real. Something good inside packaging that has hit a few bumps on the way to it’s final destination, like that box you get in the mail that looks war-torn on the outside, but has a wonderful surprise within.
So. I have lots of crap under my coffee table. What’s under yours?
I so needed to hear that sermon to! Especially since you know, I tend to stress out about having everything look put together! I love you girl, and I love coming to your house and seeing the crumbs. But I also know that your time is spent in more productive ways – and many of those ways bless a whole lot more people than just those who *may* see the crumbs!
oh no…lol oh well!
(oh, and i don’t have a coffee table..lol)
I can sooooo relate! And, you missed the best part. I showed up at the end of the interview looking sweaty, and gross because my power was shut off because my husband and I had communication issues about the bill. My crumbs are pretty big!!
Oh, Jenny, I so love your blog. I heard the same sermon and I love your blog response to it. We don’t have a coffee table (because I know the kids would use it as a diving board or be cracking their heads on it). However, if you’d like to know what’s under our couches a startling mystery in itself. Your blog is encouraging me to go back to writing mine. 🙂
I just went and looked under my coffee table…HA! Sure enough crumbs, random pretzels, Hot Wheels, my favorite lip gloss my daughter stole last week and even a dried up baby wipe. I think if you don’t have crumbs under your table, then you have a really awesome MAID! 😉
Awww! We’re all human 🙂
Excellent metaphor! I think it’s safe to say we all have crumbs under our coffee table.
Is “crumbs under your coffee table” the same thing as “skeletons in your closet”? Just your mom trying to be funny. I loved the post.
Great post! I keep trying to remind myself that no one is perfect…even if they look like it from the outside. It can get pretty depressing/overwhelming to see all of the “perfect” moms out there who can do “everything”. But they have crumbs under their coffee tables as well! Great reminder!!!
If I had a coffee table, it would have dog hair under it and on it, for that matter. %^$&#*@ dog!
Did you see this post? http://www.danoah.com/2010/09/disease-called-perfection.html?ref=nf
Your post and the one linked above both resonate deeply with me.
P.S. Your mom sounds just like mine! LOL
I have had the same thing happen to me. I cleaned the whole house and then they wanted to do the interview in the office…you know…where I threw everything 🙂 Thank you for saying what is on my heart and allowing me to embrace those crumbs. Love you, sweet friend!
Great post. I especially loved about the cursing being your go-to when you hit your head putting the kids in the car, which I used to do a lot before we got the mini-van. We just have to remember that crumbs are inevitable no matter how hard we try to clean them up. Pefection is the cleaning, the trying, the desperate pursuing, but the crumbs they are the joys of life because they exist because we are too busy with life and one hopes, happiness to care about their existence at all.
I am with you girl! I will always have that room, that drawer, that closet where I cram everything. Lately, though, it’s my ENTIRE HOUSE!
I am with Malia on the dog hair, too. UGH. I like to stalk decorating blogs but I start to get frustrated because my house will never look like theirs unless I clean for two weeks solid. And really, who wants to do that any way? 😉
First of all, the coffee table in the family room is a chest, so there’s no “under it” at all. Secondly, the living room is a shrine to the decorator and no one is allowed in there, so I’ve no idea what’s under that one. Thirdly, after a two year Mexican Standoff, someone in the family hired the Cleaning Authority to clean the house…owwwwyeah!
UP
Well, we have lots of crumbs. Which makes us human…and obviously with children. But, I see the whole point in that sermon even from listening to you. We’re all jacked up (like Paul’s car). Thank God for that too.
I visited a sweet friend today who I hadn’t seen in a while. She texted me and I called her back quickly and said I’d come over since I was in the car headed in that direction. I immediately thought “Oh no, I wouldn’t want one of my friends to come over quick like that. They’d see my messy house.” She didn’t think that though. Probably cause she knows my house is a wreck always too. I’m glad she didn’t think that way too because I was so glad to spend time with her even and honestly I couldn’t tell you what her house looked like. I am vividly recalling the conversation we had and realizing that it was far too long.
I guess I just don’t notice stuff like that. But, maybe that’s my issue since I don’t think it’s important. I’d never notice those crumbs.
Fantastic post! Speaks volumes more then you will ever know!
I’m thinking as long as you have a roof over your head, you are a wicked good mom, wife and friend and you have provided for your family! Oh and maybe some food too…but you get the point! I think you are doing a FANTASTIC job~and really who cares about the crumbs! 🙂
All I can say is…THANK YOU!!! I truly do not believe that I could have written this myself and been more accurate!!! You completley verbalized every single thing that I have thougth, felt, or needed to say in the past 2 weeks!! God truly works in mighty ways!! So, thank you from the bottom of my heart…(clothes pile)!! I will be a faithful follower of your blog from this day forward!! Sincerly, Emily (from the bottom of the clothes pile in Alabama!) 🙂