What if your messy house makes people feel at home?
Dust bunnies can be your super power 🦸🏻♀️
About ten years ago, I was a new-ish mom who had just moved to a new neighborhood and had recently started attending a new church. We were invited to attend a community group at someone’s home, a person we didn’t know well.
It was a vulnerable time for many reasons, not the least of which was that I felt deeply insecure about almost everything. My faith, my parenting, my work—all of it felt unsteady. I was juggling full time self-employment with full time parenting, and when I had enough brain space to think thoughts, they were mostly of the “am I absolutely screwing this up?” variety.
About halfway through that first group gathering, I tucked myself into the half bath for a quick breather and social anxiety scan. I was busy analyzing every conversation I’d ever had when I noticed a dust bunny in the corner. Now, this was not a small crumb of dust, but a rather robust fellow, one who looked like he’d had some time to really work on himself, perfect that fluffy bunny tail aesthetic.
In an instant, I felt my body relax. My response wasn’t judgment and it certainly wasn’t disgust. I only felt relief—an expansive, bubbly almost giddy wash of relief. I distinctly remember the feeling in my body shifting from anxiety to safety.
When I traveled out from the cocoon of the restroom, I noticed other things. Stacks of papers on the counters, evidence of homework and bills. Random items on the stairs, waiting in purgatory to be transported up or down. Fingerprints and snooty dog noses smeared across the windows.
To me, it was all a flashing green light, a signal that perhaps I could belong here. Perhaps I could be myself here. Perhaps I could be not-perfect here.
