Life is Messy: A Christmas Tale of Chaos

The holidays. The time of year when everything is supposed to look like a scene from a Hallmark movie. But let’s be honest—real life doesn’t come with that kind of perfection. Especially not my life. This year, Christmas came with a very unexpected theme: urine. Yep, you read that right. Let me tell you about our hilariously chaotic, pee-soaked holiday and what it taught me about rolling with the punches.

It all started on Christmas Eve when my brother’s dog decided to lift his leg on our baby bag. No big deal, tossed the bag straight into the wash. Then I realized I’d put the bag on my shoulder, meaning my shirt had also gotten a little love from the dog. Obviously I threw my clothes in the laundry and changed. Sat on the couch and smelled pee. A quick sniff check confirmed it was my pants. Off they went to the laundry pile too.

But wait—it gets better. While tackling this endless pee-cleanup operation, I discovered my son also smelled suspiciously like urine. Great. A closer investigation revealed that my cat (who desperately needs a groomer but hasn’t been able to get one because her groomer had surgery) had peed on herself and decided to lounge on the couch. Merry Christmas Eve to me!

I spent the evening scrubbing cushions and running load after load of laundry, desperately trying to rid my house of the smell of pee. I fell into bed exhausted, hoping for a fresh start.

Christmas morning came, and along with it came more chaos. My oldest son woke up, cuddled up next to my husband, and managed to pee onto my husband.. and the couch. Cue us, on Christmas morning, scrubbing even more couch cushions. Again.

At this point, I was ready to pull my hair out. I wanted to scream, cry, and just throw in the towel altogether. I’m a clean freak by nature, so the constant mess was especially hard to stomach. But here’s the thing: life is messy. Sometimes, it’s a literal mess, like a pee-soaked Christmas. Other times, it’s a metaphorical mess—bad moods, arguments, disappointments. Either way, it’s life, and it’s okay.

Here’s the big lesson: don’t let the mess define your day. Clean it up, move on, and don’t look back.

It’s so easy to let the chaos consume you, especially if you’re someone like me who craves order and cleanliness. But the reality is, life doesn’t care about your plans. It’s messy, unpredictable, and sometimes downright gross. The key is learning to roll with it. Clean it up—whether it’s your house, your attitude, or your outlook—and keep moving. Don’t let the mess ruin your whole day, because tomorrow will come with its own challenges.

Our Christmas wasn’t perfect. It was chaotic, loud, messy, and full of arguments. But it was also full of love, laughter, and gratitude. I got to spend the holiday with my family. I got to see my kids open their gifts with joy and excitement. I got to hug the people I love most in the world. And even though I spent more time scrubbing cushions than I’d like, it was still wonderful.

So here’s my advice: let go of the idea that life has to be perfect. When things go wrong (and they will), don’t let it ruin your mood. Don’t let the mess define your day, your week, or your holiday. Clean it up, laugh about it when you can, and move on.

Life is messy—beautifully, hilariously, chaotically messy. And that’s what makes it worth living. Our Christmas ended with all the urine cleaned up, the smell gone, and our cleaning lady closing out the year with a spotless house. Bring on 2025 and all the beautiful messes it has to offer. Because no matter what comes my way, I’ll clean it up, keep moving, and cherish the moments in between.

And for anyone out there feeling overwhelmed by their own mess, remember this: you’re not alone. You’re not dirty or trashy or a failure just because life got a little chaotic. It happens to all of us. The important thing is to handle it, take a deep breath, and keep going. Life is messy—but it’s also wonderful. Don’t forget to embrace the wonderful, even when you’re up to your elbows in a mess.