Photo by Wonderlane
The following
post is written by Steady Mom's monthly contributor, Cortney.
The Crocodile in the Bedroom - a fable by Arnold Lobel
A Crocodile became increasingly fond of the wallpaper in his bedroom. He stared at it for hours and hours.
"Just look at all those neat and tidy rows of flowers and leaves, " said the Crocodile. "They are like soldiers. There is not a single one that is out of place."
"My dear," said the Crocodile's wife, "you are spending too much time in bed. Come out into my garden where the air is fresh and the sun is bright and warm."
"Well, if you insist, for just a few minutes," said the Crocodile. He put on a pair of dark glasses to protect his eyes from the glare and went outside.
Mrs. Crocodile was proud of her garden.
"Look at the hollyhocks and the marigolds," she said. "Smell the roses and the lilies of the valley."
"Great heavens!" cried the Crocodile. "The flowers and leaves in this garden are growing in a terrible tangle! They are all scattered! They are messy and entwined!"
The Crocodile rushed back to his bedroom in a state of great distress. He was at once comforted by the sight of his wallpaper.
"Ah," said the Crocodile. "Here is a garden that is ever so much better. How happy and secure these flowers make me feel!"
After that the Crocodile seldom left his bed. He lay there, smiling at the walls. He turned a very pale and sickly shade of green.Without a doubt, there is such a thing as too much order.
When I read this little fable, I smiled and sighed with relief. Thank you, Mr. Lobel, for such a simple reminder.
Have you ever found yourself missing the beauty of real life because you were disillusioned by something unreal?
Sometimes I find myself unhappy with the imperfect state of my home because of an idea in my head of how it should be. Like Mr. Crocodile, sometimes I feel much more secure in a room where everything is in its place and there is a sense of control.
But I love the literary imagery created in the words of this story: fresh, bright, warm, scattered, messy and entwined--from something real, natural and not perfect.
I have a small sign that used to hang above my desk. It reads, "Creativity comes from Chaos." I want to be organized enough to appreciate the appropriate amount of chaos in my life. There is such beauty in the way our lives are entwined with so many good things.
And it's often a bit of disorder that leads to opportunities for learning or that allows us to see differently.
Not everything needs to be planned out. Some things can just happen naturally, like the garden of the Crocodile's wife. And for that, I am grateful.
**Do you believe there's such a thing as too much order?**
Cortney
is a young mother of two who seeks to bring beauty and love to her
family through various creative outlets: photography, writing, sewing, cooking and
entertaining to name a few. You can
discover more of Cortney's creative ideas at her blog, Praiseworthy.
