we with children live a fine line between chaos and perfection. one in which our skin can can quickly shatter into shards too many to count, and only a steady hand or roll of tape can put us back together. but when we let the messes become beautiful, the walls pulse. the beat of our hearts is louder than the chaos. we glide to our own music and feel the quiet within. we make art and noise and life for the feel, smell, love of it, hosing it all down at the end. lines and shapes, notes and colors bandages for our wounded skin. i'm still learning which messes to keep and which ones to throw away. but when i close my eyes, and listen to my children, really listen to my children - the beautiful mess always wins.

please follow the links to see all this month's beauty in the "what ____ looks like circle". the most lovely stephanie moore is up next.