A few years ago when I had three little boys running around most of the day my house never seemed to be clean and I have to tell you it drove me crazy! I ran in circles picking up after them constantly. Then one day I decided that enough was enough! I would let the house be messy, and wait until the end of the day to clean up... one time!! Needless to say, I was much calmer and had more time to spend with them and do fun things. That I will never regret! Well, while I was "letting go" of the perfection- someone in my family came over - and said, "You know, you really should clean these fingerprints off your walls." To be honest, I didn't really notice them before this moment. As I examined them, I thought to myself, "Clean them? No way! I want them to be there forever.. to remind me of my little ones and the great times we had together." From that moment on, I looked at the fingerprints on my walls [that came to my waist], as little gifts. Needless to say, I didn't clean off the fingerprints, and yes, slowly they have disappeared from my walls and have been replaced by other little dainty fingerprints of two little girls and fingerprints that are getting to be at my eye level as my boys are growing up. I love seeing them. It reminds me of the little hands and big hands that surround me and the amazing responsibility I have to take these hands into mine and teach them about life, about doing things with their own hands to help others, to be creative, to love, to serve, to work.... etc. Fingerprints on my walls reminds me that my life is very imperfect but through the imperfection we learn. We learn to patient. We learn to let the little things go. We learn to focus on what really matters. Yes, if I didn't have all these fingerprints around me, my life wouldn't be so messy. My life would be less complicated, easier, and less dramatic. But in turn, I wouldn't be surrounded by so much joy and love. One day, I won't have these beautiful fingerprints constantly surrounding me. These fingerprints will move on and create their own little fingerprints in their own homes. Hopefully when I visit them, I will be able to remind them how precious these little fingerprints are and how quickly they disappear. I will miss the constant commotion, the messiness of my life, and the little hands that I will hold into mine anytime I want. These fingerprints symbolize the memories of my little ones and the importance of relationships. Needless to say; I love fingerprints on my walls!!
