Proof of Life
February 13, 2025
Writer: Tyler Peterson
Editor: Victoria Pescod
We are conditioned to believe that beauty is found in perfection. In spotless floors, in neatly arranged shelves, in crisp, white sheets that have never been slept in. We scroll past polished photos of minimalist homes and handpicked aesthetics, where every object seems intentionally placed, every surface untouched by the chaos of daily life.
But life’s most authentic beauty isn’t found in curated collages or pristine, untouched spaces. Real beauty is found in the evidence of a life being lived. It is found in the mound of dishes after a pasta night filled with laughter and second helpings. It’s in the bathroom counter covered with your favorite lip glosses and half-open palettes, remnants of the excitement before a night out dancing. It’s in the scattered papers on your desk—proof of deep thought, ambition, and the ever-growing wealth of knowledge you carry.
So why do we treat these messes as something to hide? Why do we rush to clean them up before we take a moment to acknowledge what they represent? Somehow, we’ve convinced ourselves that messes are signs of failure. A reflection of disorganization, irresponsibility, or a life out of control. Perhaps messes don’t mean chaos. Perhaps they mean presence.
A house with mounds of laundry to be put away, is a house of clean clothes. A house with stacks of dishes, is a house well fed–where meals are shared over tired smiles and long conversations . A house of un-made beds is a house of rest and dreams. A house with shoes by the door is a house full of active people who always find their way back home.
We are not meant to live in glass boxes, untouched by the world. We are meant to move, to spill, to gather, to exist fully in spaces that reflect who we are, not just how we want to be seen.
So, make the messes. Pile the books. Spill a little coffee on the counter. Let the shoes gather at the door. Life isn’t meant to be spotless—it’s meant to be full. Don’t forget to stop and see the beauty in it all before you clean it up. Because one day, the messes may be gone taking with it all that it entails. The shine left behind won’t feel like peace—it will feel like something is missing.
