On Messiness

she’s messy, it’s messy, what a mess.

I know a bit about messes. For a lot of my life, “messy” was my middle name. 

“Messy Jessie, that’s what they call me” I’d share all too often throughout my life, echoing the label I was branded with as a hyperactive child.

In life we encounter all kinds of messes. Some we make for ourselves — like when I’m straining out the pasta water and accidentally dump half the steaming noodles into the sink. 

Sometimes we’re cleaning up someone else’s mess — like when I get out of bed in the morning and spot the gooey wet surprise my cat left us on the hallway’s hardwood floors.  

Sometimes a mess gets thrust upon us — like the night my husband and I came home from our wedding and found our sewer had backed up that day, flooding our basement and soaking our Brooklinen comforter. 

Messes big and small are inevitable. At the end of our lives I’m sure we’ll all have a lot of stories of our messes to reflect on. 

Saddleback founder Rick Warren says we have an opportunity to let our mess become our message. So — whatever messes we encounter ahead, or whatever messes we’re cleaning up, I find hope in remembering that how I handle life’s curveballs is how I develop character (a la Calvin & Hobbes) and build a life I’m proud of looking back on fondly. 

Jessica Burkett is a Content Strategist and Photographer with over 15 years of experience helping brands communicate to their audiences effectively, advocating for ambitious women’s achievements, and moving through life’s messes with intention.

Based in the Midwest, she works with clients internationally.

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