Since day one, I have been a walking mess (my parents can attest to this statement). I haven’t been able to keep a clean room for as long as I can remember. My parents hate every time I decided to get “creative” in the kitchen because all the pots end up scattered on the counter with every single cabinet door open. I still haven't figured out how to put away clothes once I take them off. The impending mess from moving home after my first year of college likely gave my family nightmares. Everywhere I go, clutter is sure to follow.

Even in the non-physical sense, I am a mess. I seem to face a new crisis every day, whether it be a meeting I forgot to write on my planner or not enough time to finish the assignment due at midnight. Keeping up with family and friends from home is challenging, and this is in addition to trying to figure out how laundry machines work and managing to feed myself. Learning to “adult” in college is messy and I manage to trip and make mistakes all the time.

I am 90 percent mess, 100 percent of the time. I live in a constant state of disarray, however, I’m completely okay with this.

I would like to have everything in order, but this isn’t a reality. As said on Grey’s Anatomy: “I know it’s not perfect, but it’s life. Life is messy sometimes.” Life is a mess; chaos runs rampant and there is absolutely nothing that anyone can do to stop this. Life is not perfect, but rather the opposite. Chaos is an essential instrument in the symphony of life, and instead of running, it’s time to embrace the music.

This isn’t a plea to cease room cleaning, calendar keeping, and bathroom scrubbing — please don’t stop! However, sometimes we get too caught up in the things going wrong and forget to recognize the beauty in the uncontrolled and unknown. While it sometimes seems like all is going wrong, this only leaves opportunity to place trust in yourself and others to navigate the situations. Often times, new doors can be opened from the ones that suddenly were slammed shut. Clutter is not something to be feared but rather viewed as a challenge. If we are never challenged, how will we grow?

At the end of the day, my hair may be a mess, my clothes may be all over the floor, and I may not have all my ducks-in-a-row, but as long as I go to sleep with my eyes sparkling and hope for tomorrow, I think I’ll be alright.