Monday, April 20, 2015

Muddy Feet, Happy Heart

I've known plenty of moms who take pride in their children being spotlessly clean, women who change their children mid-play when their clothes get dirty, who are always at the ready with a wash cloth to swipe away the grime.

I take more pride in mine being dirty. There's something about their little sweaty heads smelling of copper pennies, their nails embedded with dirt, their jeans caked with mud that speaks to a life well lived.

I'm happy to get them shined and scrubbed before bed, but that night time bath is so much more rewarding when the day has been spent barefoot in the mud.  And when that bath doesn't happen, when they go to sleep with their dirty little soles poking out beneath once clean sheets, I'm pretty okay with that too.

5 comments:

  1. I think you have just summed up perfectly a lot of what I miss about my girls not being so little any more! Children are all the more beautiful for their grubbiness. I'm not sure why, maybe they just seem so carefree and at one with the world around them. xx

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    1. It will be sad when they grow up and choose less messy pursuits. I sure enjoy them little ...most of the time.

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  2. oh YES. I totally agree! I have taken great pains to never say "don't get dirty!" to my kids. And if there are any precious clothes in their closets, I take great pains that those clothes are worn only for special occasions that do not involve the outdoors or paint or food.

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    1. How special can any occasion be without the outdoors, paint or food? Maybe we should call them boring occasion clothes.
      Bring on the chocolate stains!

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  3. Lovely photo ... Just goes to show that you don't need to see a whole person for a photo to tell a story :). I'm right with you on mud-rules-OK!

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