Perfectly Imperfect

Hello, Dear Reader ~

Recently, I came across something I wrote in June 2013, entitled My Garden, My Family. Finding this treasure filled me with gratitude. It took me back to a time when my children were all in the midst of their growing-up years, and when I was a younger version of myself; what I wrote still resonates now, thirteen years later. Reflecting on my garden as a metaphor for my parenting experience, I observed how the garden grew in all of its perfectly imperfect ways.

Perfectly imperfect. I reference these two words frequently because they capture the essence of life experiences so well.

This summer, I’m having fun creating a fairy garden. I found some accessories from many years ago that I revived for this little magical space in my yard. Among the long-buried accoutrements, I found a fairy with a broken wing. I gently placed her in a small flowerpot to keep my seedling company while it grows into a flower.

When I took the picture shared at the top of this Note, I wasn’t thinking about the missing fairy wing, and sure enough, it is not obvious in the photo. Perfectly imperfect. How often do we assess something based on appearance, without seeing the whole picture?

Our minds are trained to fill in the blanks quickly; it’s how we’re wired to think and react quickly. How wonderful it would be if this writing, with the lovely fairy included, could be a reminder to pause with intention and reflection, rather than making conclusions based on assumptions.

If you’re interested in reading the full essay, My Family, My Garden, please send me an email!

In perfect imperfection,