This is Digby Pancake. Do you like to clean? Or do you like to be clean? If so, I can’t really relate to that.
But after the week we have had, clean hasn’t really happened. Dirt had happened. Dust has happened. Poison oak has happened. But clean. No.
Girl Person was really bothered by all of the dirt on our Barking Biscuit Buggy RV and our truck yesterday. We were tired from the day before. And we should have been resting. But all she saw was dirt. And she told Boy Person we really were all dirty. All he did was look at her. And he said, “do you know what’s been happening?” I did.
We got stuck on a mountain road. We got stuck in a dust storm. We all pulled together. And we got out of it. But we got dirty in the process.
Do you ever just look at others’ appearances? It’s easy to think you know why someone appears sad. Tired. Mad. Wore down. But you do not know.
Appearances can be deceiving. It’s easy to judge from the outside. It’s harder to ask if you can help. It’s harder to ask if someone wants to talk. It’s harder to go out of your way. But what happens when you do?
You can’t clean up someone else’s messes in life. But you can offer to be there. You can offer to share a smile. An act of kindness. And when that person decides to clean up their own messes, they will be able to help someone else do the same.
If you are a mess, think about what’s been happening. How did life get dirty?
Take a break. Step back. And look at what you need to clean up before you try to help someone else.
–Digby Pancake
