Brené Brown said it best in The Gifts of Imperfection:
“Perfection is not the same thing as striving to be your best. Perfection is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgement, and shame. It’s a shield. It’s a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it’s the thing that’s really preventing us from flight.”
Perfection is a myth and the perfect harbinger of feelings of unworthiness, self-doubt, not being enough.
However, the beauty of imperfection is you can see it anywhere, everywhere, in anybody and that imperfection becomes a lovely vision when we view it from behind a kinder, gentler lens.
Take for instance the photo of a loved one, the print not sharp, the colors not vibrant but the face, looking back at you through that worn out, dull print, has an impish smile, messy hair barely covering eyes that have a mischievous twinkle daring you to not smile back. That photo will still give you happiness.
In late autumn and into winter, I love those leafless trees, the ones most pass by without a second glance except for those photographers who love these gorgeous naked subjects of nature. They vie to bring out every curve, bare branches casting shadows that hug the contours as the light passes through.
- Secret hideaways revealed by fall’s foliage drop.
Those who have pooches who are not exactly models of perfection will certainly agree that though they may not be perfect in the eyes of the outside world, they are perfect for your family. The same can be said of my boy too.
What the world sees as an anxious, fearful, overprotective raven-haired hound with one of the neighborhood’s loudest “WOOF!”, friends, his vet and his doting family sees him as the sweetest, gentlest pooch he is. This furry, fluff of imperfection is the one who will never leave your side when you are in pain, the one who will have your back and the one who will greet you with the most enthusiastic tail wag, a toy in his mouth and the happiest look in his eyes when you come home.
Nope, I wouldn’t trade that lovable clown for the most well-trained dog in the world.
Often, we peer into those fabulous snapshots of a day in a social media influencer’s life, that flawless selfie of a beautifully groomed human with nary a wayward hair in spite of the wind whipped trees leaning precariously behind.
Then there is that wondrous rainy day: what fun to run out into the downpour, feel the rain wash away the dirt and grime beneath your bare feet, hair – once combed – now a soaking wet mess, body feeling the welcome coolness that refreshes the earth. The freedom that comes with being spontaneous! If anyone took a picture of you in that fun moment, what a lovely memory to look back on.
What absolute joy to be free of the expectation to be perfect, free to not fear the chipped nail while climbing trees, the stained clothes while painting, the dirt splattered shorts while chasing friends through drenched grass, slip sliding onto a puddle, piled together in a happy, muddy heap!
What fun to be perfectly imperfect! With all your quirks, your glorious bungling through this life, be you.
