The messy drawer in my kitchen

(and my head)

That one drawer

We all have one, don’t we?
That drawer in the kitchen that makes a small noise of shame every time we open it. Mine is full of things I might need one day. Pens that don’t work. Tape that ran out two Christmases ago. Paperclips. String. A tiny screwdriver I’ve never used but keep anyway. Receipts that are faded into nonsense.

It is, in short, a bit of a disaster.
And yet, I keep it.
Because somehow, it feels easier to close the drawer than to deal with the mess.

Avoidance with a side of crumbs

Lately, I have noticed my mind doing the same thing. Pushing things aside. Letting thoughts pile up in the corner because I do not have the time or energy or clarity to deal with them just yet.

There is always a reason.
Something more urgent.
Something louder.
Something that needs me first.

So I close the drawer in my mind too.
But eventually, just like in the kitchen, things start to spill over.

What the mess is trying to tell me

I used to think mess meant failure.
That if things were disorganised or hard to face, I must have done something wrong. But I do not think that anymore.

Now I see the mess as a signal. A gentle one. Not an alarm, just a soft knock.
It says, something here needs your attention.
Not all at once. Not perfectly. Just… when you are ready.

And maybe that is all it takes.

Not a full clean-out. Not a life overhaul.
Just a few minutes of quiet sorting.
One thought at a time.
One corner at a time.

Clearing space for something new
Sometimes I clear that kitchen drawer just enough to find what I need.
A working pen. A bit of tape. A sense of order.

And it feels better.
Not because it is suddenly beautiful.
But because I gave it a little care.

Our minds are not so different.
They do not need to be perfect.
But they do need space.
And sometimes, space comes from simply deciding to look at what we have been avoiding.

A small wondering

So I am wondering, gently,
What drawer have you been avoiding lately, either in your house or your mind?
And what would happen if you opened it, just for a moment, without judgment?

Not to fix everything.
Not to throw it all out.
Just to see what is in there, and what no longer needs to be held onto.

You might be surprised how much lighter you feel, just by looking.

Warm greetings from a occasionally facing her mess mom