Everything's Perfect

I was visiting with a friend today and asked her how she feels about balancing her work life with her family life.  She thought briefly and decided that "everything isn't wonderful, but everything is OK."  All I could think of was what my darling husband says to me when I'm talking crazy, "Woman, please!"  Her home is impeccable; her children are fed, groomed, active, and happy; she and her husband's relationship is healthy;  she looks and dresses like a J.Crew model;  and she is FANTASTIC at her job.  I pointed out all this OKness to her and upon further discussion we came to the conclusion that things are, in fact, wonderful---what they are not is "perfect."  Or are they?  

Perfect.  I've been accused of it and I've accused others of it.  We could hurl no other insult that stings as badly.  We secretly harbor the goal of perfection, but would never admit it.  It creeps up on us and robs us of our satisfactions.  If we aren't perfect, we aren't enough.

On the other hand there is the delighted squeal of someone exclaiming, "Just perfect!" over the newborn baby, the fabulous gift, the remodeled kitchen, or that decadent death by chocolate dessert.  These things ARE perfection!  Even though we know the newborn baby will fart like a foghorn in the middle of the preacher's sermon, the fabulous gift will lose its luster and end up in the charity box, the remodeled kitchen will only be remodeled again next year when the new buyers move in, and the death by chocolate dessert will be cursed hours later on the treadmill.  

Perfection is fluid.  Here today and gone tomorrow.  It's just like the rest of us...at times it is simply, well, perfect...and at other times, it could do better.  Embracing the flaws will help us to understand that it is within these imperfections that we will find our perfect.

I'm going to encourage my friend to say that she is balancing her family life with her work life perfectly.  Her version of perfect.  As for me?  I've got the market cornered on my version of perfect with those 3 little ladies.

I've learned alot about perfection and imperfection from Brene Brown.  Check out her insightful and inspiring ideas on her blog, Ordinary Courage.