I’m currently listening to “Present Over Perfect” by Shauna Niequist on Audible. It’s a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while. I’ve heard the title tossed around for years and at a recent MOPS meeting, a good friend said it was one of her favorite books. Then, while eating dinner at another friend’s house, I noticed the book on her coffee table. So I finally hit “purchase” on my phone and have begun listening to Niequist’s story of letting go of “busy” and embracing “present.”

Side note — one of my most delicious and life-giving habits since I’ve become a mother is cooking after Lucy goes to sleep (which is at 7 pm — shoutout to Moms on Call sleep training). After I put her down and clean the house, I love to get a recipe out and listen to a podcast or audiobook. It’s simply the best.

While moving about the kitchen tonight, a specific line in “Present Over Perfect” stuck out to me…

“Some of being an adult, though, is about protecting and preserving what we discover to be the best parts of ourselves, and here’s a hint: they’re almost always the parts we’ve struggled against for years. They make us weird or different, unusual but not in a good way. They’re our child-sides, our innate selves, not the most productive or competitive or logical, just true.”

These words hit me hard. Since becoming a mother, I’ve had a front-row seat to seeing a little personality take shape and develop. Even though Lucy is only 16 months old, I’m already seeing glimpses of who she might become. So far, I see a lot of determination, big moments of joy and some shyness — a lot like myself at that age and now. As we get older, though, I think a lot of our truest selves — our unedited selves — gets smoothed out and becomes bland in the hopes that others will accept us. But, it’s those pieces of us that are big and different that are usually the best. That’s where our truest talents often live.

These words remind me to take a break from trying to make my life look perfect and sink into the more honest moments of my life. The messy kitchen. The tiny toddler with a snotty nose hugging my legs. The toys scattered across the floor and hidden under chairs. These words remind me to embrace a little more of my truest self — the goofy, creative side that I often try to push down.

So, in an effort to show (and document) a little more of the “realness” of my life right now, here are two photos from my phone that make me smile. They may not be perfectly styled but they are real and they make me smile. They capture exactly what my day-to-day looks right now — being a mom to a sweet and often messy toddler and also finding some “me” time to make something warm and delicious.